The child with the flute
by Narsha
Summary: There is something in the forest, she feels it. Something bad. Something wrong. Something that makes eternal trees wither and die Something that takes people and never let go. Tayuya is aware of that, but nobody lisens to the forest. And nobody listens her either. For she is just a tool in these men hands. But she made an oath to bring peace down this world. At all costs.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everyone,_

_That's the first time I am writing a story directly in english, so I hope I didn't make too many mistakes. I already do some in my mother languague..._

_Anyway I'd like to apologize to my french readers that won't be able to follow this production._

_To everyone else, thaks fir reading me._

_Disclaimer: Naruto and all his characters belongs to master Kishimoto, because if it were me many people would'nt have existed, and lots of characters would have a better use like Sakura, Hinata, even Sasuke._

_Warning: This story (not in the first chapters I think) might content gore and/or lemon scenes that could shock young people. So I would like you to mind the rating M of the story._

_Enjoy your reading, and don't forget to leave a review. Those who write story will agree that everyone likes to be rewarded of their hard work._

* * *

" So that's your first born" Kushina said looking at the petite baby leaning in her best friend arms. "What's his name?"

"Itachi" Mikoto answered while feeding her baby.

The little kid had his lips and his little hand around one of the brunette's breast. His short dark down felt like fur under the red-haired women. Uzumaki Kushina sighed. She wish she had a little one like this fellow. But she was still a teenager and a newly promoted Chuunin, whereas her best friend was already an accomplished housewife. Though the young mother was eight years older than her, they couldn't get along better.

"He doesn't look like a weasel" Kushina noted bluntly.

"I didn't choose the name."

"Your clan elders are really dumb then, dattebane."

"Stop saying that, you'll end up getting troubles !"

"Really? What could be worse than being stalked by your husband's nephew?"

"Does he annoy you? I always thought he was a nice kid. Don't you think he's a good party for you?"

"Like hell! I wouldn't even considering dating him! Besides, since what happened with those Iwa's nin, I…"

"Come on, tell me! I bet that Namikaze kid is a lucky guy."

"I-I am … It's… Dattebane!"

"It's incredible how you can still react that way. It has been three months now."

"Stop mocking me !"

The redhead blushed and gritted her teeth in front of her amused smile. She shook her head, trying to find another subject to discuss. Baby Itachi moaned and turned his head away from his mother's chest. Feeding her baby that way in public was somehow shameful, but her husband was away, and there were only the two girls chatting on the wooden patio. Mikoto handed her son to her neighbor, before putting her clothes in a more decent way. A little hand grabbed a long scarlet lock and started to pull. Both women giggled and Kushina put her hair away from the adventurous fingers.

"See, another guy like your hair!"

They laughed a little. Then the mother put her child in his tiny bed before resuming their conversation. The Chuunin was off duty for the time being, and the housewife had taken vacancy to take care of her newborn and husband. Because she was an Uchiha, one of the most conservative clans in the village, there was little to no chance she ever gets a mission again. Teasing her young friend was the only thing she had not to get bored.

"Speaking of babies" Kushina suddenly said "I heard my older sister had a child too."

"Your sister from the Uzushio village, right? Is it a boy or a girl?

"A girl. That's what I actually wanted to tell you. Kaede-nee wanted to send me the girl times to times so we could get along. I was thinking you could give me some tips…"

Mikoto looked at her best friend without talking. The girl really wanted a baby. She loved them so much. But she also missed her family. Since the tragedy with Iwa, she was the only Uzumaki left in the leaf village. If she was her, the brunette would have already got out with the blonde genius. But her friend was young, so young. It wasn't unusual to see young mothers in the kunoïchi ranks, but Mikoto knew for sure that the audacious Red Death preferred a shaky life and exciting missions out of the village than a tranquil life like she had.

But she still wanted kids. Lots and lots of kids in a lively house.

"First you always have to carry a young child with caution…"

******Time skip******

"You haven't told me she had an older brother" Mikoto said seeing an older teenager carrying her little niece in her arms and a small boy by the hand.

"Noboru is not my nephew by blood. He was born before the marriage."

'A heir by adoption' Mikoto thought. 'Let's hope he doesn't get jealous from his little sister.'

"Hey kids!" Kushina caught their attention "Say hello to Itachi and Mikoto"

"Good morning ma'am" Noboru bowed.

His sister, Tayuya, waved a hand at the two Uchiha. Mikoto noticed she never heard the girl talk before. Maybe she couldn't speak well yet. Maybe she was shy. After all she was only two years old. The young mother and her friend sat on the patio chatting. Itachi looked at the other boy. Noboru was about nine, and the other two about the same age. The older one started to get bored after a bit and tried the training target that Fugaku used on the garden. Itachi looking at his throws with a critical look in his eyes.

"Tell me about these children. You manage?" Mikoto asked.

"Don't mention it. I'm so tired and they've just arrived." Kushina sighed. "At least I can leave one of the two alone a bit."

'Of course' Mikoto thought 'If that Noboru trains himself like now, she just have to look after Tayuya. And she doesn't seem to be a pest.'

They took cups of green tea, watching the children a bit. The boy didn't seem that good with weapons. He wasn't close enough to the center for his shots to be precise enough. The red-haired girl was playing with mud and grass, her tiny hands molding a ball of dirt. His son and her haven't exchanged a word yet. But they weren't wary either. As if a wall was between them.

"I just put some scrolls about basic notions, like history, and I'm not bothered. But the other one is more problematic. I always have to ensure my house is safe."

'Sure, I get that. But my Itachi is the quiet type. I know he would never break anything at home. But I thought Noboru wasn't the book lover type. Maybe I was wrong.'

"Careful Itachi" his mother said looking him touching the shurikens of the trainee.

"And I would like you to give me a piece of advices. I don't know how to manage Tayuya."

"Yeah but you know my son is a bit special. I'm not sure of what I will tell you is useful."

"You can tell me everything. Tayuya is a bit strange too. I wouldn't be surprised if…"

An exclamation of anger and frustration interrupted the teenager. Both women looked at the three kids. Itachi was grinning at Tayuya, with stars in his eyes. Her dirty hands were empty. Noboru was shouting at her fiercely, but she didn't seem to care. All her attention was captured by the pile of wet soil pouring from the red center. She hit bull's-eye.

"I indeed think I have useful things to tell you" Mikoto said.

******Time skip******

" Come on Kushina-chan" said the read-haired man "You are the only one I can ask."

The Uzumaki sisters had gathered in a restaurant in the center of Konoha. Sitting in the right side of the table, Minato took the hand of his 20 years old girlfriend. In front of them was sitting a red-haired a men with a goatee. A young boy about twelve was eating his meat and vegetables in a mannered way. A little girl in a cute dress was sitting on her brother laps. Her dark eyes locked on the blonde's ones, and her pinky lips contracted on a frown. It was like he was judged by the six years old kid of his brother-in-law. It felt a bit creepy.

Minato glanced at his lover. She hadn't said a word since Uzumaki Kaede told her the news. It had taken the redhead aback. The Third Great Ninja war had started a few years ago. And Kiri who was Iwa's allies in this battle had attacked from the other side while fighting Konoha's allies from Kumo. Their conflict ended up crushing the little country that was Uzuchio. Most of the Uzumaki clan was fighting or fleeing the war zone. That's how Uzumaki Kaede's husband came all the way to Konoha to buy lands for his people. And have the village adopt and protect the clan heirs Noboru and Tayuya.

"Consider them like some training" he muttered his girlfriend "So that when we would be ready…"

"Is Kaede-neechan…?" Kushina asked with a trembling voice.

"My wife was fine when I left her in the hands of a midwife, along with some other wounded and old people that couldn't move too well."

"And you will have to cross the battlefield in order to go to them. Please don't go! I don't want anyone of my blood to die. Not after our cousins in Ame…"

"I'll assure that you get to your wife safely, Uzumaki-san" Minato said. "I just received a mission near Kannabi Bridge. My Team could lead you all the way to the untouched lands."

"I swear that if none of you come back I will…"

Noboru, Minato and his brother-in-law sweet dropped at the threatening aura that surrounded the Red Death. It was apparently a specialty among the Uzumaki women. Tayuya didn't even flinch. She just looked at her aunt with her black eyes and said with a light voice:

"If something was to happen to dad, I will know it."

Then Minato figured what was off with the kid. She was too calm. And her eyes were sharp. Noburo had a sheepish smile and his attitude showed how worried he was. He only focused on how he looked as a clan heir. Tayuya looked like a ninja in disguise of a child. As if the little one was protecting the big one. Maybe she ended up that cold after witnessing the dark side of their world. Due to her age, he assumed she was born one or two years before the beginning of the fights. She might be suffering from psychological wounds. Maybe he should ask Kushina to show the children to some Yamanaka clan member.

And there was the only sentence the girl said. As if she was connected to her family not only with her eyes and heart. Something fishy was underneath. But it appeared the mind of the boy and his girlfriend. Even her father looked a bit reassured, and a gleam of pride shone in his chocolate eyes.

"I will know it" she said again.

"Yu-chan is right" Kushina smiled. "I'll take care of them."

"I hope you will help them grow so that they would be the pride of this village." The man said. "Namikaze-san, when and where is the meeting point?"

"Tomorrow morning at 9" the blonde Jounin said. "Near the black gravestone out of the village"

It was the day Konoha prepared itself to welcome a third great clan within its walls.

******Time skip******

Kushina was tense. She did meet her young cousins before. Though keeping them ad vitam aeternam was a first. As well as having them without her sister Kaede. Noboru shouldn't be that of a challenge when she'd get the papers to enroll in the Academy. But what about the little girl? She thought of taking her to work and having office missions for a while, but war was there. The village needed her on the fields. And there was this will of Minato to have the kids see a psychiatrist. And then he goes away, leaving her with all the worries.

For the first time of her life, the Red Death felt disconcerted with her life. How the hell was she supposed to act with two kids more than two hours straight?

Her head was like a big watermelon. And you know the best? She hadn't move from her seat in the restaurant yet. She was just staring at her own blood and feeling a bit stupid. Noboru smiled at her, and she breathed a little better. Maybe it won't be so bad. Tayuya was looking outside the window, her eyes following the little silhouette of her father. She wasn't pleased with the current situation. For a second, Kushina swore she saw a six-year old girl instead of a poker face.

The teenager sighed. She could only hope for her relatives to be fine.

"How about Auntie buys you an ice cream?" she suggested to lighten the atmosphere.

In the Yakiniku Q, three Uzumaki were wishing for a miracle to happen. Very hard.

******Time skip******

Uzumaki Junpei was far from happy. First he was upset about his family. He had no idea how well was his beloved doing, he left his children to an anxious teenager and he might not ever even see his last one. Second, he was worried about the outcome of the mission of the Team Minato. Well, that Kakashi-kid seemed reliable at least. But it wasn't the case of that Uchiha. Damn, and he was told the Dôjutsu bearers were the cream of the crop. And here's that shitty kid arriving late with such a lame excuse the man was about to strangle him.

And they travelled to the border, in an actual battlefield. He had never been fond of battles. To state the truth, he had never been the one to get his hands dirty with dead bodies and blood. Apart from giving his wife nice kids that had his blood, he never did anything great. His only asset was to be the last living cousin of Senju Tsunade.

He was an exemplary clansman. The perfect dad. A genius diplomat. And an acceptable fighter.

His first and present real ninja mission made him realize how pathetic he could be. And how deep one can change his view on everything. That Kakashi kid he thought to be the best, was nothing but an idiot with the ninja code rule glued inside his ass. And that idiot Obito was a brave kid that had a brave heart, one of the most righteous people he ever met. So when the girl with them got kidnapped by the enemy, the brunette went to save her, whereas the newly promoted Jounin tried to walk him out of the battlefield. The teenagers parted a moment, then the silver-haired turned back, leaving Junpei all alone to find his way.

And Uzumaki Junpei, former Senju Junpei made a choice he would never regret. He chose to help the Konoha ninja's out. And he got into the cave at the right moment. Obito saved Kakashi from the boulder falling from above them. And Junpei saved the Uchiha's ass. After all, he was a peculiar Uchiha, humble, nice and never thought highly of himself.

"Please, watch over my children, you three" he asked them.

Namikaze Minato came too late to save the man. But his team was better than before. All of them had grown in their own way.

Chuunin Junpei from the Uzuchio village had never done anything spectacular. Even if he left an exemplary and rather happy life, he had never been a hero. But he died as one. Somehow a bit of him never left the Konoha's gravestone.

Maybe the sacrifice of that man was what saved this world from one of the greatest threats ever. But evil always finds a way to its goal. Especially when this threat lies under this very point of the Hashirama Forest for more than fifty years. And also because the blood spilled under that stone was from an heir of the Shodaime Hokage.

******Time skip******

He was in the darkness for so long he had forgotten what if felt to be outside. He wasn't really alive, was he? After all, he wouldn't call someone linked to a stupid statue 'alive'. But he was. In a way, he was.

Outside, blood was feeding the ground with minerals and water. Trees don't care about the color of the water they drink. And he was only consuming what they did. He was feeling more alive since the war broke out. And far more conscious since fights ended near the roots.

And today he remembered why he was there and what he had planned for this world. Senju cells had melted with dirt. Time had come.

******Time skip******

"Meal time kids, dattebane" a young women shout outside her window.

Two redheads came near the sing to wash their hands before eating. Noboru held his sister to help her grab the soap. Tayuya froze herself before dropping it, her dark eyes wide open. Kushina sighed when it slid between the table's legs. She kneeled and grabbed it before throwing it at the boy. Tayuya was sitting against the furniture's, her body limp, her eyes vacant. Tears ran down her cheeks. She was squeezing a wooden pendant between her hands.

Kushina crouched in front of her.

"What's up sweetie" she asked in a troubled tone.

"He didn't make it. Dad didn't make it" the little girl stuttered. "He's still in the forest. And he will never leave"

******Time skip******

No one could glare like Uchiha Fugaku. Especially when he was displeased.

Mikoto put the steaming dishes on the table. They had two more people to feed this day, and hopefully she always made more food than her husband and her six years old son could eat. And she had to feed herself properly to carry a healthy baby, the elders said so. Then when a gloomy Kushina kindly asked her to take care of her nephew and niece, she couldn't refuse. She was fond of kids, and Tayuya was like Itachi, so she hoped they get along well. And Noboru was such a sweet kid.

The only problem was the atmosphere in the room. It was filled with some sort of negative aura. She knew that something had troubled her best friend so much she handed the children to her. The preteen's eyes were filled with sadness, and his little sister's nose was a little red.

'I wonder what made them so sad.'

So when she saw the poor souls, she asked her husband not to be… as usual. To get a little more cheerful and kind. Well she was half sure her man was doing efforts. Even if no one around the dining table seemed aware of that. Fugaku looked at her a mere second, just to see if he was doing well. She smiled at him in return, at least if he believed so, the evening shouldn't be that bad.

At least that was what she thought at the beginning of their meal.

No one could glare like Uchiha Fugaku. But Uzumaki Tayuya didn't seem to care. And maybe was that the problem, the tiny sand grain that made the mechanism go all wrong.

'Ku-chan indeed told me her niece was peculiar. Mostly when she was looking at people to see what they worth and how to act.'

Fugaku was looking at Tayuya's eyes and she was doing the same in return. Like two wild beasts trying to see who the best was. Mikoto looked at Noboru with a hopeful look. The boy nodded before whispering something in the little girl's ear. She seemed to ease herself and at least lower her eyes. Fugaku then had a satisfying smile on his lips. He probably liked the girl. Itachi casted a discreet glance at the girl in front of him. Few things could impress her boy.

'She will make an excellent kunoïchi.' Mikoto reckoned.

"I heard your clan members have Senju's blood in their veins." Fugaku said in a proud and surprisingly defying tone.

'Is my husband trying to confront a six years old girl?' Mikoto wondered. 'I can understand he wants to test her, but that's not something you do to a kid.'

"My father is one of the last members of the Senju clan" Noboru answered.

Fugaku glared at the boy. He wrinkled on his chair, frightened by the eyes of the Uchiha clan head.

"Honey, be nice with the boy." Mikoto whispered to her husband.

"We count two Hokage in our ancestors." Tayuya said.

Despite being high-pitched, the redhead's voice was firm. And she didn't like her brother being mocked. Strange how this pair worked, the little protected the big. But her anger was winning against her sadness. The conversation made the children evacuate all the bad emotions they had in them. Even if Mikoto guessed they were still worried about something big. Maybe was it how Fugaku wanted them to deal with their pain for now. Making them forget about it by fright and anger.

Tayuya's answer seemed to satisfy her husband. The girl was as bold as she was strong willed.

'Fugaku has something in his mind.' Mikoto thought.

"My son is entering the Academy next week."

"We too."

Each suggestion of Fugaku found an answer in the little girl's mouth. Mikoto felt sorry for her brother. He was pouting, and a gleam a jealousy shone in his eyes. He wasn't the one who caught the attention of the Uchiha's leader.

When they got to bed later that night, Fugaku had that look in his eyes. He definitely was plotting something.

"That girl is something." He said. "I wish Itachi will marry one like this later. A clan heir deserves it."

Mikoto froze a little. She wasn't appeased even after they cuddled into bed. No mother should be envious of a six year old kid. It was silly. But what did he meant by a clan heir deserving a girl like Tayuya? She had never been very clever. She was a good Jounin of Konoha, and a daughter of a rich Uchiha clansmen. And Fugaku loved her since they got engaged.

But somehow, Mikoto started to dislike the girl.

******Time skip******

The lights in the house were all switched off, when Minato came to the apartment he shared with his girlfriend. It was the middle of the night, so he assumed she had put the two children in bed. Though he admitted he would have enjoyed a warm welcome. He just had come back from the frontline after all. Obito and Rin had come home, and Kakashi led himself to the hospital to have them take care of his missing left eye.

The blonde ninja opened the door carefully. He didn't want to wake someone up. Kushina was the grumpiest person ever if you would wake up in the middle of a nap. He sighed sadly. He wasn't coming with good news. After all, his brother-in-law had just died in hero. But the news won't be happy for the kids or his lover.

Minato took off his sandals, noticing the missing shoes. He frowned, ad tiptoed on the wooden floor. He heard a noise that made him shiver. Kushina was sobbing silently in the kitchen. He ran into the room. She raised her head and looked at him with sad eyes. Tears had left gleaming trails upon her cheeks. He opened his arms and she embraced him forcefully. She was crying without stopping, something unusual for such a women. Then, after a moment, she calmed down.

"Kushina-chan, Junpei-san is…" Minato started.

"I know." she interrupted him.

"You… know about it?"

"Yeah."

"Five hours, more or less."

"But, how did you do that? It's the time of his death."

"I don't… really know how this happened. But Tayu-chan seemed to know about it. She was washing her hands and then, she stopped. And then she said her father had died, and Nobo-kun believed her. And I believed her too."

"How did that kid did that?"

"How do you want me to know? I wasn't watching her, I was cooking at the time, dattebane!"

He looked at the untouched food, then remembered the missing shoes.

"Where are they now?"

"I didn't want to believe Tayuya at first, but she came up with so many details about her father and where he was that I thought she couldn't be lying. So I decided to hand the children over to Miko-chan, because I was about to snap, dattebane. Then I performed a Seal that would enable me to see though Junpei-kun's eyes, using something that belonged to him and… I saw that Tayu-chan was right about everything. I saw you closing his visible eye."

"I see that you're not upset anymore, so why don't we go to sleep you and I and deal with our problems later on? Okay?"

She nodded, and he carried her to their bed. Before leaning against her and shutting his eyes, he wondered again about Tayuya's behavior. Didn't Senju Junpei talk about putting his child into the Academy? He thought he was talking only about Noboru, but he might be mentioning both.

Kushina's lips suddenly met his and he lost the track of his thoughts. Something much more important was going to happen, like relaxing himself after a long mission. Oh, he mustn't forget his girlfriend might be needing affection after all this turmoil.

Minato let her mount him. What could he do, she was a hell of a women. And it was rare, when she was that ferocious in bed. The neighbors will certainly file a complaint against them. Again.

******Time skip******

That Noboru guy was snoring. And it was the most irritating noise Itachi had ever heard. Why did his mother thought when she settled him in the same room as his? Their house had plenty of rooms. Why couldn't he sleep alone or with the red haired girl, for instance?

He let out an irritated hiss, hoping the preteen would hear him and let him sleep. That guy even had the guts to ask for a real bed instead of sleeping into a futon like his sister. It was kind of a guest not to ask too much of his hosts. And that guy was a clan heir, he should have known better. Instead of doing what was right, he was thinking of himself as a little king. Where the hell did he came from? Senju's and Uzumaki's clans were famous among ninjas. And yet he looked like he was nothing but a prince. He was lucky his mother was nice to him.

Itachi smirked in the dark. Well, the boy almost pissed his pants in front of his father. Had he been the effusive type, he would have laughed his ass off. But he wasn't. The dinner had been one of the most interesting he had attended to.

Noboru snores got louder, if possible. He threw his pillow at him and landed it perfectly in the boy's face. He grumbled a bit and dug his face in his own cushion. After a while he started imitating a buzz-saw again. Itachi wished he suffocate himself with his own saliva.

He might have said it out loud, because someone giggled outside the room. He got up fast and slid the door open. There was no one to be seen. But somehow he knew someone was watching him. He looked on the garden, but it was empty. He checked his own room, but Noboru was still sleeping. Tayuya hadn't left her futon. Who might it be? He ran silently around the house a few times but found no one. Well since he was fully awake, he could just go to pee. The pressure stopped when he closed the door of the toilets behind him. At least his stalker was a polite one.

He opened the door again and looked around him. Shadows were growing weaker with dawn. His eyes caught sight of red hairs, but when he turned to look at them there were gone. If he concentrated more, he could hear a soft tiptoe. As if a large mouse was running on the parquet. He smiled. His stalker hadn't got nasty intentions and it was a good one.

He thought a moment about Noboru's ninja's talents. That guy couldn't be his pursuer. He was as old as his cousin Obito, and he hadn't had a shinobi training yet. And that was something considering Obito. So, was it Tayuya? He though the girl was sleeping too, but he didn't checked that much. After all, his mom told him it was bad to enter someone else's room without their permission, especially girl's. But if he recalled correctly, his father never told him not to do so. And if Tayuya was slaking him, she couldn't be in the room, so if she wasn't he could barge in, right? And if he was wrong and she was indeed in the room, then he would make sure not to wake her up.

He opened the door silently and caught his breath. Then he made a step, and another, until he reached the futon. The girl was in here. But something was off. She wasn't breathing. He couldn't hear the sound of her respiration or the movements of her chest. Itachi frowned and outstretched a hand to the girl's face. His fingers never touched her skin. If he should explain what he felt, apart from the pillow below, he would have said that he had touched the emptiness. Not like if you were waving your hand into the air, but there was something against his hand.

"It's weird." Itachi mumbled to himself. "My eyes can see her, and the sheets are on her body. Despite that she's not here."

He turned around really quickly and jumped. He felt a real body under his. And his dark eyes met amber eyes. And the smirk of a girl.

"I finally caught you" he said before getting up.

He turned around to see the fake body, and it was still there. Despite what reality was showing him, he now knew he was seeing wrong. His right hand was grabbing Tayuya's wrist. He feared that she would disappear if he let her go. He wasn't sure he could catch her again later. It was the first time he thought that highly of someone who wasn't even a Genin.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"Did what?" she mused.

"The fake you that can't breathe." he explained.

"Oh, it's just a Bunshin. You know what it is, right?"

He read something in her eyes. She was testing him. Just like his father was testing her earlier. Just like his father when he started speaking riddles with him.

"I heard about them." He said evasively.

"But you don't know how to make them."

It was hard to hear the blunt truth from her mouth. Even though he guessed she wasn't mean. But he wasn't a man to let himself getting impressed by such a girl. He will show her he was better than she was.

"Show me." he ordered.

Her eyes slit and her gaze became colder as she heard him. She probably didn't like to receive order.

"You're such a macho man, you know?" she said.

"I thought guys were stronger than a girl, that's why we can order them around." Itachi said.

"You're so clung to traditions!" she hissed in an angered tone. "Where did you think you can order me around? I'm the Uzumaki clan princess."

"I'm sorry. I'm just acting like I was told."

"Yeah, you shouldn't have. Let go of my arm."

Before he could loosen his grip, she had turned her hand so that one of her wrist's bones was between his fingertips. They didn't have enough force to resist her and she got free. She pouted at him and went to seat in the patio. The rising sun made her hair shine like flames. Her cold amber eyes were still looking at him in anger.

"Okay, I'm really sorry I hurt you Uzumaki-san. I never thought my behavior could be that offensive towards girls before. Can you teach me the Bunshin technique now?"

Only silence answered him. He read in her eyes she was expecting something else. Itachi sighed. He wondered if sleeping with her snoring brother shouldn't have been better.

"Please?" he asked, uncertain.

Her face softened. What a weirdo. Seconds before she was mad at him, and now she had a goofy smile on her face.

She showed him the hand seals to make the technique. He knew all of them, but he didn't know you could make combinations. First it was the ram sign that was used by many shinobi when they were kneading spiritual and physical energy to make chakra. The second sign was the serpent sign when the hands were joined with all the fingers tight in the back. To do the tiger seal to finish the technique, he just had to get his indexes up. After a few minutes of training, he was able to do the sequence perfectly. Then, he concentrated his energy and redo the hand seals. He felt as if something had taken the outer layer of himself to make it stand by his side. There was another Itachi at his right. Well it was a strange Itachi who looked like he was about to barf, but that was a beginning. He gave Tayuya a questioning look.

"You're doing great" she told him. "How about thinking of making clones of yourself when you do the signs? Then it becomes as easy as walking."

She gestured the technique, and four clones appeared beside her. He nodded and retry again. When he looked at his new creation, he found an acceptable copy of himself. He notices that the clones had no effects on their surroundings. The sun got through them and they hadn't any shadow. They were soundless and their feet didn't mark dust. After playing a while with Tayuya, he heard his mom moving in his parents' bedroom. Both children stopped what they were doing and sat in the patio, in front of the garden.

A long silence passed before one of them spoke.

"I've never met a boy like you before" Tayuya said.

"Me neither." Itachi said "You're really weird girl, Uzumaki-san."

"Don't call me that. I feel like an old lady. You can call me Tayuya, if you want to."

Itachi then noticed she had never called him by his name. She hadn't called any of them by their names. He wondered why that was. If she minded not to call them by their names, how could he be so familiar as to call her by hers? He asked her about it. She seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"You don't look like an enemy, so I will tell you. In my clan, the most important skill one's must perfect is seals. And knowing names is something that go along with seals."

Seals? He wondered with surprised. His father told him a bit about them. They were used to store things or to make notes on kunais. He couldn't thing of something more boring than that. Strangely, the girl sitting next to him in her pajamas had another view. She was thinking highly of her clan skills.

'It would be the same if someone had told me that Katon techniques sucked.' he thought.

"Are you listening to me? You're daydreaming."

"I was just thinking about seals. What makes you think you can't tell names because of seals?"

"I took that habit from my mother. And I believe Kushi-nee-san has the same. When you draw seals, you must have a precise idea of what you wanna do with it. Let's say you made a trap. If someone walks on it, it will activate itself. Suppose now that you settle your trap in a forest with animals."

"They would activate the trap if they touch them." Itachi said.

"That's why a good seal will only activate if a human being walks on it. If I want them to do so, I have to inscribe it on the seal. And that should work in theory."

"In theory?"

"Yeah, lots of things can happen that you had miscalculated. And you can draw the seal wrong, things like that."

"What about names? What would happen if you put someone's name on the seal?"

"That's what I meant to tell you. If, I keep the example of the trap, I write down your full name on this trap, anybody but you would be able to walk on that seal and not activate it."

"That's why you don't call me by my name. Now that you tell me that, Kushina-san likes to call me Ita-chan."

"Then I will call you Ita-chan and you will call me Tayuya."

"But I thought you didn't want people to pronounce full names." he recalled.

She looked at him and smiled.

"That's because Tayuya is just a nickname, Ita-chan. Uzumaki clan's names always start with the letter 'k'." she told him.

"Then what's your real name?"

She put her fingers on his lips to make him silent.

"You can't tell names you don't know about."

She winked at him before walking to his brother's room.

"Oni-chan, I think it's time for breakfast."

* * *

_That's all for today, see you soon!  
_


	2. Chapter 2

A breakfast in the Uchiha's leader household could easily be compared to a feast. Noboru looked at all the food before him and started drooling. It had been a good night in a great bed. And now he was getting an even greater meal than the night before. He didn't think about all the work Mikoto had to provide for this banquet. He just thought everything was normal, because he was invited in this house.

Well, the big man of the house was something. Well, he couldn't say he had almost wet himself when his eyes met Fugaku's. If anyone asked him, he would have answered that he bravely looked at the scary man and didn't flinched. Maybe it was something far from the truth, but no one would tell otherwise. After all he was the Senju's heir, wasn't he?

His father had always told him to see the bright side of things. If you let others see you in your best shape, they would think you were the best. So that's what he did for his entire life. His father was always with him. Until he met that Uzumaki girl and fell in love. And had babies with her. Uzumaki Kaede, the queen of Whirlpool Country. Until he gave up his clan's name to become an Uzumaki. Noboru thought it wasn't that bad, after all he was still the Senju's heir, and he could become the Uzumaki's heir. He had been an unwanted child his father had with a whore. Who died tragically in childbirth.

He was the son of the most degrading class of the society. But he was also a member of the Senju Clan from his father. And Senju Junpei wasn't a bad man. He claimed his son and made him a Senju clansman. If Tsunade, the granddaughter of the Shodaime never had a child, he would inherit everything. The Senju clan would be his. The Uzumaki clan would be his also.

But Tayuya came into being in that snowy night. And everything changed. She was the one who will inherit the Uzumaki Clan. He felt his position was compromised. But the red haired girl was just a baby. And she was just a girl. She couldn't possibly take the clan over. Even if the one managing the Uzumaki clan was Uzumaki Kaede, and the one managing the Senju's was Senju Tsunade. Something wasn't right. They were trying to take his place!

Tayuya was just a baby. And she was just a girl. No one would be upset if she tragically died. After all it was winter, and lots of children died as infant. Nobody would look at some crib death as something weird. So he came up with a plan to kill the baby.

Death was something awful, he knew. His own mother had died because of him, he was aware of that. But all his attempts failed. He couldn't lay a hand on his sister. He who looked like his deceased mother couldn't harm a child with the face of his father. It was his own blood. Though his young heart was filled with greed, he couldn't hurt her.

Then he decided he would be better than her, so that she would never be the Senju's heir. She would never take that from him. And they would both be clan heirs. Two clans that would be allied forever. Like they were since Hashirama Senju married Uzumaki Mito. Whose name apparently never was Mito, but he never understood what their habit with names and other stuff was. Anyway, after a few failed attempts to murder his sister, Uzumaki Kaede started to speak with him. Or was it him who opened his heart to the mother. And he felt like he had missed so many things before, like the love of a mom.

He stopped being angered at his father's remarriage. His father could marry who he wanted, as long as he was happy.

However, the dark of his soul wasn't appeased. He was still a greedy boy who though everything should be his.

Tayuya grew beautifully. Everyone who was seeing her would agree with this. And she was smart. So smart she was creepy. And Noboru's jealousy and greed started growing along. It wasn't right, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Maybe everything started at the time she threw this sticky ball of mud where his own shuriken couldn't reach. Maybe it had been here from the beginning.

All in all he felt he would never like his little sister. Even though he was unable to harm her in any way. He felt something was wrong with one of these statements. For now he didn't want to choose yet.

You should let go, son. Keeping that much unexpressed and unhealthy feelings inside you isn't a good thing. Just let them go, that's how you will get stronger his father had told him once. Well his father wasn't here anymore, Tayuya said so. And he had believed her. She wasn't someone who lied to make the other at ease, or to make them see her better than she really was. She didn't need that, as she was a blunt and bold girl. Thus she never had many friends and became a recluse child. He felt that wasn't right. He wasn't a good person, he was aware of that fact, yet he had many friends.

While eating like a pig all that Mikoto-san had gave him, the greedy part of himself was whispering to him it was something he deserved; he noticed his sister had befriended the Uchiha brat. Maybe wasn't that of a bad thing. He just had to wait and see what will happen in the future. Perhaps the blank part of his soul will make the decision about what to do, or perhaps will it be his greedy part of his soul. He would know when his blank part finds its final color. Then he would know who he really was.

No one could glare like Uchiha Fugaku. It was as if the man had seen the depths of him last night. Noboru would never admit how powerful that glare was. He would never admit how deep it affected him. It was the same glare. That damn baby had the same look in her eyes, that snowy night.

It was true Noboru couldn't harm his own sister, his own blood. But as he will never admit Uchiha Fugaku's eyes terrified him, he would never admit why he couldn't lay a hand on Tayuya. And he knew was it had nothing to do with love.

******Time skip******

Mikoto often woke up early since she was close to deliver her baby. Sasuke was sometimes agitated, and gave her some kicks from inside her stomach. So she would wake up at dawn to do some chores as she was awake. Fugaku would stay in the room and watch her putting her clothes on. He wouldn't get up, but he would stay there looking at her. Sometimes he would whisper love things at her ear. And if she hadn't been pregnant, he might have started cuddling again. It was their private moment.

As she left the room he just told her the kids had been making fools during night.

She opened the door and momentarily leant on the wooden casing. Her big belly was pushing her body in positions she couldn't control well. Keeping a new balance with this adding weight was difficult. She carefully tiptoed on the parquet surrounding the main rooms of the house. She wasn't making any sound. She had been a Jounin after all, even if these years of 'housewiving' made her loose many things.

She spied on the kids, as the noise of her breathing was covered by the large snores of Noboru. Poor kid, he was not that of a nice child, but there was something desperate around him. He probably had psychological issues. She hoped agreeing to his vagaries was helping him, because it seemed to get on her son's nerves.

She smiled when she saw the redhead teaching Itachi the Bunshin technique. They sure got along quickly, these two. As she had thought a few years ago, Tayuya was also a genius. These two will soon have key posts in the army, if this war didn't stop soon. She was happy the Academy let them enroll at that young age, but she wasn't pleased they let kids alone on the battlefield. Even adults couldn't cope with war, what about children. She wanted her sons to be born in a time of peace, unfortunately the Third Great War had started not long after her first born came into existence.

She let the children alone. They didn't want adults to spot them, did they? She started stuffing the rice cooker. The sound of the dried grains on the machine was reassuring. It was another daily routine. While the rice was boiling, she took some fish out of the refrigerator, as well as fresh vegetables, what was left of natto and eggs. She started cooking the tamagoyaki in a hot pan. She hummed an old song from a long time ago.

Children barged into the kitchen. Noboru yawned before slumping on one of the kitchen chairs. He was half awake, whereas his sister and Itachi were happily chatting in a corner. She smiled when they started a little game to test their reflexes. She came back to reality when she smelt her omelet had started sticking to the pan. She ended up rolling her eggs after a fashion. She hadn't had time to put some cheese on it. She diced the tamagoyaki. Right then her cooker bleeped. She got the steaming rice out of the machine and put it on her work surface.

She groaned a little when baby Sasuke kicked her again. Maybe was he unhappy this morning. A little hand patted the back of her apron.

"Do you need help?" Tayuya asked with her serious look.

'She's cute.' Mikoto thought. 'She should fix her gaze and her hair though. Her locks get on her face; I wonder how she can see a thing.'

"Well I have to slice the salted cod and the cucumber, but I think the knife is too heavy for you. Hum, what else could you do…? Do you know how to make onigiris?"

"Never did before, but I can try." The girl assumed with a shrug.

"Itachi, help your friend a little, would you? And careful you two, the rice is a bit hot, you know?"

Mikoto would have asked Noboru, but the boy was finishing his night on the kitchen table. She watched the children as they tried to give the clumpy rice a triangular form. She betted they would end up with only two big pyramids and the rest of the food spilled everywhere else. Besides they had already started to fight with what Tayuya had named 'rice shuriken'. She sighed and concentrated her chakra. Soon enough, two Kage Bunshin had appeared. The real mother started teaching the kids about how to sculpt properly with rice and how and when they should add the filling like bits of vegetables, fish eggs or umeboshi. That Tayuya seemed to have a thing for the salted plums; she always had to watch the fruits ended inside the rice and not inside the little girl.

"How come your clones are real and can touch things?" she asked along with Itachi.

"That's a secret for grownups!" Mikoto answered with a wink.

Meanwhile her clones were cooking another batch of rice for the sushi and roasting the tuna fillet. One of them heated up the miso soup and adding a few condiments and fresh tofu and nori seaweed. The kettle whistled as the water stopped boiling. One of the Kage Bunshin made some green tea and Tayuya stuck her tongue out in disgust: she didn't like the taste of the bitter beverage.

Fugaku entered the room and froze a moment. Noboru was snoring on his chair, Tayuya had rice on her hair and Itachi was cooking, which traditionally felt on women. He cleared his throat and Mikoto blushed. Itachi stopped smiling and Tayuya finished doing his rice balls without humming. A clone had Itachi washing his hands before waking Noboru up. Her husband sat down on his chair and unfolded his newspaper. He didn't look angry, more like… bewildered.

"There is too much too eat for just us." he said.

"I got… carried away." Mikoto apologized.

"I can see that" Fugaku scorned.

It was rare to hear him joking; he seemed in a good mood this morning. It was a good thing.

Noboru dug in before anyone could say a word. A dark aura surrounded Fugaku, and Mikoto saw his fists clenching. Fugaku glared at Noboru who stopped eating. The boy muttered an apology, unless it was an 'ittadakimasu', she couldn't tell because of the rice piled in his mouth. At least he looked sorry. Tayuya looked daggers at the Uchiha clan leader and he looked back at her. She didn't give out under the weight of his gaze.

"Tayuya, stop doing your scary eyes." Noboru whispered with a frightened voice.

Her eyes wavered a bit, and Mikoto saw a gleam on something inside them. It looked sad and painful. She blinked her eyes and look away. The tension diminished, and they started eating again. Mikoto stared at the Uzumaki girl. At first she had thought only Noboru needed help for his behavior issues, but Tayuya seemed to need advices as well. She hoped the presence of her son by her side would do her good. Otherwise she will ask Kushina to have some girl talk with the redhead.

Everything stopped mattering when she felt her birth pangs getting closer. She felt hot, and she was sweating a lot. And she just had her waters break. She looked at her husband.

"Honey, get the midwife! Hurry!" she shouted.

She had never shouted at him before. She had never seen him carry that expression of worry melted with excitement on his face either. Itachi was born when Fugaku was away. He leaped out of his chair and quickly jumped outside of the house.

"Noboru, help me getting into my room, please." she ordered the preteen.

"But I…"

"Do it now, young men! I need to lie down my bed quickly. The baby is coming."

The boy opened his mouth as if he was gasping for air. His sister started to heat up some water and Itachi went out to seek for some towels. The boy had no way but to help out the young mother. Then Fugaku came back with Sarutobi Biwako, the Sandaime's wife. Then the boys were kicked out of the room by the old lady. The Uchiha leader stared at the closed door, feeling rather stupid at the time. Then he sat down in the kitchen and started eating again. So did Itachi and a hesitating Noboru. Nobody was there to protect him from Fugaku's glares now. If he had paid more attention, he would have noticed that the man was more preoccupied by his wife and their newborn son than his bad manners.

Had Itachi been the effusive type, he would have laughed his ass off, again. But he wasn't. Besides his head was full of his mother's moans of pain, and a faceless red-haired girl.

******Time skip******

Tayuya learned what was on the other side of the coin. The one with life on a side and death on the other one. Since they had started travelling out of Uzuchio, she had met many people who had died. For a lone kid like her, little breaks in the local villages had been the perfect time for wandering around and looking at the outside world. She wished she had stayed in her manor in their little Whirlpool country. This outside world was wide and scary, full of smelly corpses and violent persons. She then learned that she needed to learn how to fight if she wanted to survive. Noboru had been in those ninjas classes, and he was always bragging about his talents. Though she thought she could never do the same little things he was able to do. He was strong and he knew how to punch people. That was what she thought of her big brother. But she couldn't ask him to protect her forever. But she couldn't do anything with her little body of hers. She was weak and Noboru was strong. She was a girl; she had to learn how to seduce the enemies and how to heal her allies. Talking bad, running everywhere, scrapping her knees and kicking butts were the prerogatives of boys.

"Why are you dreaming, you little slacker! Get to work at once!" Biwako shouted.

The voice of the old lady made her jump with surprised. She didn't know an elderly person could curse like the midwife was. Mikoto had spread her legs open and she was leaning on her back, panting. Tayuya saw the hairy part between her legs jerking as the mother was moaning in pain. Biwako was saying reassuring things at her ear, while wiping her sweat away. Tayuya did her best to replace her as the old women put her head between the lady's legs. The dark eyes of Mikoto crossed the browns' of Tayuya. She lifted her hand and put the hair away from the face of the girl.

"Didn't know there was such a cutie behind these red strands."

But Tayuya dug her face into her hands and brought her hair back in front of her eyes. Mikoto took a deep breath before pushing again. Sasuke was more difficult than his brother at his time, she could swear it. By the time she filed her limbs with air again, Tayuya's figure was hidden again.

"That's not cute of a girl, you know" Mikoto told her as the redhead cleaned up her tower hand refreshed her body. "I'll cut your hair if you want me to. I'm pretty good at it."

"People say my eyes are scary. The others don't like when I look at them."

"It's true they are a bit…" Mikoto started before moaning and pushing again. "But you actually look like a yeti like that."

Tayuya frowned. What was a yeti? She didn't get the pun. Well even when she understands the jokes, she mostly didn't found them funny. She would have to ask someone else, because Itachi's mom was very busy. And very sweaty as well. Then a baby got out of her body with squishy stuff that looked like blood and a rope from inside the body of the mother. If she had to explain what had just happened, she would have said that giving birth was like taking a dump. A very long and painful dump. She had one once, and her mother give her bitter medicine that made her think her guts were melting. Except that when you were giving it was a baby that got out, which in her mind looked as disgusting as crap. In a more lively but less smelly way. Oh, it smelt, only it was weird, not bad, but weird. But that was true the infant was sickening when you had to touch him.

"Clean him up, would you?" Biwako asked her, giving her the sticky, weird-smelling, shuddering and accessorily screaming baby.

Tayuya took one of the clean towels and wrapped it around Sasuke. Biwako had cut the rope between Mikoto and the newborn; she was currently exhorting the exhausted mother to get the afterbirth out. Sasuke wailed the whole time the redhead rubbed the sticky matters. Then she took him out of the stained fabric and covered the small body with another one. At least he wasn't crying out loud anymore. She held him a moment the best she could while the old lady washed the young mom with a sponge. The naked body of the mother and her son made the girl feel uneasy. Sasuke looked up at her and she looked back at him. As always she was glaring. Even if she wasn't angry, her eyes stayed alert; maybe that was why people thought she had scary eyes. But the baby wasn't frightened. Tayuya found herself smiling.

She didn't stopped being happy, and stayed sit when Mikoto fed her baby with her milky breast. A young person had looked at her without getting away, neither did his brother.

Uchiha Mikoto glanced at the smiling Tayuya. Indeed the girl was smart and pretty. She felt bad that she envied her last night. Her husband found the girl interesting, and so did she. And she was one of the rare persons that befriended her firstborn. Fugaku was right, Itachi should find a girl like her to marry when the time comes. Yet she already knew it wouldn't be the Uzumaki kid.

******Time skip******

Later that morning, an exhausted Minato came to pick the children. Itachi welcomed him at the door before leading him to his mother bedroom. The blonde ninja felt a bit shy in the moist room. The air was still filled with the smell of these women secret they have when babies are born. Tayuya was sitting near her, soothing baby Sasuke with a flute. He congratulated Mikoto for having another child, and confided her he thought his girlfriend pregnant too.

"That's good news." Mikoto said "I wish our children will be best friends."

"Wasn't it too hard to birth with these guys around?" the young Jounin ask, referring to the kids.

"Oh no, Tayuya is such a sweet girl. And Noboru was… well all the boys in the house weren't around during the delivery."

Minato couldn't put the words "Tayuya" and "sweet" in the same sentence. She was intimidating with her strange glare, rather a calm and lonely child than a sweet one. He wish he could ask the mother how she could think a kid was lovely when you could not see her face. Just feeling her gaze through her hair could give the chills to anybody. He wasn't sure what was worse, Tayuya's scan, or Itachi's questions. The raven genius tended to ask precise and often inappropriate questions about war.

"Tayuya? Could you let me speak to Minato-san alone?"

The music stopped and the redhead nodded. Sasuke began to cry again, and Minato felt his ears itching. She hadn't been lulling the baby with a normal song. She played a minor Genjutsu, he realized. How much did she know about the ninja's arts? She knew how to throw a shuriken and was aware of her father's death. And now she was able to trick a mind inside an illusion? She never aimed him, so he paid no close attention. Now the last notes had died in the air, he recognized the use of a hearing illusion. He couldn't detach his eyes from the girl.

"Did you see that? She was…" he said.

"Don't tell me you're surprised, I know from Kushina that girl can read since she is two or so."

"Yeah but, she's rather… How can I put it? Er…"

"She's a bit wary on the outside, but she's very interesting when you start to speak with her. She's mature and kind, even though she lacks experience. And I know you've taken care of the Hatake kid long enough not to be disconcerted by a six years old girl."

"If I rest on my own experience and Kakashi's one, I bet she won't get many friends for now. Childhood is a very hard period of life for people like us. I'm happy that she seems to get along with your son."

"I think things will probably change when she'll get into a team. Many bonds are tied during this time."

"And I think these kids will soon get solo missions. I just hope the war will be over when they would start running across the world."

"I hope so too." The mother said.

Minato let her rest with her son and headed towards the place he heard the children play. He sat down near Fugaku a moment, to discuss about his last mission and Obito's abilities. The boy had developed his Sharingan during the fights. The Uchiha clan leader was relieved; they didn't have to banish the boy for his lack of capacities. Then the blonde ninja took Tayuya on his back and fetched Noboru. He got out of the Uchiha compound with them. Somehow the air was more breathable outside the thick walls surrounding the clan houses. No wonder the Sandaime didn't like to deal with them: they were always too stiff and traditional. He asked himself if the Uzumaki clan was that rigid about etiquette; he had only met Kushina and she hadn't lived that long with her own clansmen. Maybe the way the children were raised could explain the behavior of Tayuya.

Soon enough, their mother would come by Konoha and pick them up to the new house Senju Junpei had bought for them. He didn't recall the Uzumaki clan having any manor near the village. The Shodaime's wife had probably been living her entire life in her husband's family. Kushina told him she met the old women when she became the Kyuubi's vessel. She was surely dead by now. But how come he felt he was missing something? Where did the old lady lived? Why was she the only person alive that had lived the Clan wars?

He entered their apartment with two children and a head full of questions, and no satisfying answer.

******Time skip******

The man in the dark never slept. There was times he couldn't grasp the reality well enough. But he couldn't die. Sometimes he had ask himself why he was still alive. He had no answers to that. He knew the Gedô Mazô was keeping him alive with the cells of the living clone of Hashirama. Right now he couldn't recall why he did that at the time.

Since he had regained a bit of his consciousness, he knew he was a man and not a tree root. Or that he had been a man, a long time ago. Everything else was blurred for now. He was surrounded by darkness. He felt he was sitting on hard seat and that the pipes between his body and the statue were feeding him with rainwater and rotting corpses.

He ignored why he could tell the statue was a catalyst of Hashirama Senju's cells. He didn't know who that guy was, he couldn't tell his own name. The name of that man had popped up in his head when the root had found fresh blood to feed him with, which was rare.

The only thing he knew beside Hashirama's name was he had to stay here and stay alive in order to let the world at peace. And that the fact he had woken up wasn't good news. He should have stayed asleep forever. His waking would bring chaos.

And the world would come to an end.

******Time skip******

Hatake Kakashi opened his new eye carefully. It wasn't aching anymore but he was still feeling weird about that eye. As if this eye wasn't his. He looked at the young girl asleep on his lap and sighed. Rin was here again. He didn't mind the girl's presence, but she tented to irritate him a bit. He had guessed she had feelings for him. And Obito was in love with the girl. About that, he was sleeping on the bed too, drooling on the sheets.

The night they had come from the battlefield, he had been severely injured. More than they previously thought. He had put the eye patch and did all the stuff his comrade told him to do. But she had overestimated him. Maybe he was considered as a genius by his peers, but he was also a teenager and a human being. When he collapsed on his way to the hospital, Obito and Rin had carried him to the emergency section. And then the doctors cured him.

Eventually they gave him another eye. Not a false one made of seals and disgusting things. A real eye, from a real person. Now he was puzzled. Because he got that eye thanks to that good-for-nothing. Obito had been braver than him in the forest. He was the one that half-dead Chuunin from Uzuchio was impressed by in the end. Himself, had been the most despicable man the earth had carried to this day.

Obito had convinced his dying grandfather to give him one of his eyes. As a birthday present.

Obito was a piece of work. Kakashi smirked in his room. The boy better keep up with his efforts. Soon, team 7 will be the best of all.

He had never considered his team mates as he was doing now. As real friends. They had accepted him like he was, with all his mistakes and cracks. Now he was finally getting what his father meant about comrades. He felt far more better after rescuing Rin with Obito than he felt each time he had them respect the rules to the letter.

He felt the heat of Rin's and Obito's bodies near his, he felt his beating heart on his chest.

'Friendship is a wonderful thing, don't you agree father?' Kakashi thought.

The three of them leaped in fear when the door was violently slammed by a cheerful Kushina. Behind her, Minato and a boy about their age shivered with fear. He wasn't a ninja, stated Kakashi. Or else, he was a very bad ninja. To look worse than the Obito of the old days was something he had nether thought possible. His eyes (a grey one and a dark one now) stumbled on the image of a small red-haired girl. His Sensei had talked about his girlfriend's family a bit (is there a time he doesn't prattle on everything related to Uzumaki Kushina?)

The little girl's face was covered by her long red hair. He could just see her nose emerging between two locks. And even if he couldn't see them actually, he could feel her gaze right on them. Rin looked uncomfortable; he used to see her smiley in front of little children. Obito hadn't noticed her yet, because he was being teased by Kushina. That girl had something the preteen hadn't. She had power. If he had to pick someone who would be close to what a ninja should behave, he would have picked her. He had never seen her before, and he would choose her right away.

It left him a bitter taste in his mouth. Up till now, he had been the youngest Jounin officer of Konoha, but that simple kid was changing everything. As if the title of genius wouldn't be in his hands but hers. It was a silly thought, though, she was twice her age, and she was pressuring him. He wasn't sure to win the challenge if he had to confront this girl. Well he would win now thanks to his experience, but what about later.

Kakashi decided she was interesting. It wasn't a story of likes and dislikes. The girl gave him the creeps with her hidden eyes, but it didn't hurt him. He hadn't felt the need to study and get better for long. This might be interesting.

"Team 7, let me introduce you to my girlfriend's family" Minato said. "Well the one in the bed is Hatake Kakashi, the cute girl on his right is Rin and the boy on his left is Uchiha Obito."

"Is she cuter than me?" Kushina asked in a flirty way.

"I'm Senju-Uzumaki Noboru." the preteen said with a gentle smile. "And this is my little sister Tayuya."

Kakashi didn't give into that smile. This Noboru guy wasn't happy to see them. He wasn't happy to present himself to them. He was just doing what he had to do in this situation.

"Nice to meet the two of you." Rin said politely.

"That girl is scary, she's definitely Kushina-san's niece" Obito muttered to them.

"What did you say, you brat?" the redhead growled.

"The truth." Kakashi stated with cold eyes. "I don't know what Sensei found in you."

"That was mean!"Rin said then hit her partner's back of the head.

"You damn rugrat." Kushina hissed in anger.

"Auntie, calm down!" Noboru prayed.

A small laugh suddenly jingled in the room. Kakashi suddenly realized it was Tayuya who was laughing like that. The others were still arguing about love and other stuff in a joyous mood. He put his bandaged hand on the redhead's hair and brushed her strands away from her face. She didn't stop giggling. And with the light upon her bare face, everyone agreed that Uzumaki Tayuya was nothing more than a cute little girl with very sharp eyes.

******Time skip******

The Sandaime Hokage looked the scrolls that had just arrived from Iwa. They had sent their best raptor to bring the message. Perhaps they just needed to be scared enough to ask for an armistice. Minato had done a great job. Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed; he wished the man had come sooner. Only four Chuunin had made it. The ceasefire took effect a few hours ago. Both sides had agreed on a truce in order to get back most of the bodies; or what was left of the soldiers.

He looked at the last report he had received from the cleaning teams. Clearing a battlefield was a tough job, and an ungrateful one. Sometimes the bodies had been there for many days. He agreed corpses were biodegradable, and dead animals never came to claim their dead ones. Yet they would search for all human remains, sealing away what could be buried and burn the rest. A long time ago, during the Second Great Ninja War, when he had just become Hokage after Tobirama-Sensei's sacrifice, he too helped looking for bones in the dirt. Sometimes what you found made you wonder what hidden villages were good for. The only proof of unity between the nations was these ashes that filled the air, seep into your limbs and get stuck to your clothes. Ashes from all the countries, the last dance of the dead enemies.

He knew what could be found in battlefields after the fights have ended. Even though he had been mostly fighting against the administration recently. Maybe was he getting too old for this.

But what was found in the forest shook him from teeth to toes. He had always known some trees in the forest were a bit special. After all, they hadn't grown naturally, but because of years of research. They had grown because of Senju Hashirama's work. They never get affected by the seasons, they would stay green by the end of autumn, snow and frost would melt within a day. They released special pollen in the air that would cast a barrier all around the village. Any outsider would make the barrier react since that pollen was into Konoha villagers' body to the core. The trees were special, he knew. But this…

All the bodies that had been found near a Hashirama oak were those of old people. No exceptions. As if the roots had sucked the life-forces that remained in the ones at the death door, taking from them the years they would never have. When a soldier touched one of the bodies, he had crumbled into dust and the wind scattered it. Sarutobi Hiruzen thought he recognized one of the bodies, it looked like his son-in-law. Well an older version of that lad. There was nobody's fault but the trees. He had always thought they were protecting them, but doing this…

Only one cadaver was left intact. Apart from being dead and stinky, and half crushed by an enormous rock, he hadn't been dried by the cursed roots. The coroner identified him as Senju Junpei, a descendant of Hashirama Senju and a distant cousin, and therefore the legal heir of Senju Tsunade. The Sandaime remembered the man, he had just met him a few days ago. He had bought unoccupied lands. The workers had already started building the new Uzumaki's compound. But he asked this neighborhood to be opened to the civilians and the shopkeepers, unlike the Hyuuga's or the Uchiha's one. And he asked him to enroll his children to the Academy, as well as all the Uzumaki children that would like to do as well, when they will reach the village.

Senju Junpei's body had bled a lot. The ground around his remains could prove it. But if the carnivorous trees had drank the body fluid, they didn't harm the corpse. Not more than he already was, to be precise, no one would look good when one's half squashed. They even found little flower buds near the remain, though they hadn't got any sun to do the photosynthesis. It was more than strange.

Did the trees somehow recognized the blood of Hashirama Senju when Junpei had been wounded?

Anyway, he had to do some research about these trees. They were dangerous, and if they did this to the bodies, when will they harm living beings? He couldn't let anyone get hurt.

His eyes wandered again on the message from Iwa. He had to put his actions in order of priority. His old hand reached his quill and he started scribbling on a new scroll what conditions Iwa proposed to make peace. He had to discuss that in front of the Council right away. But he needed to ask someone about the Hashirama's trees. There must be someone who had written down how the Shodaime created the pillars of this detection barrier.

But by the time he had finished his paperwork, the story about the strange corpses in the forest had left his mind. And when he finished discussing with the council and the ambassador from Iwa, he only wanted to go home. During the night, a zealous assistant had to finish the writing of the treaty on time and trashed the reports about the battlefield. They didn't need them anymore, now that everyone returned, did they?

When Sarutobi Hiruzen started the following day, he was sure he was forgetting something. As he was unable to remember what it was about, he decided to ignore the calls of his subconscious and began another vain fight against paperwork. Even though, he was sure there was something important missing, but nobody could tell him why.

He was getting senile with all this mind-numbing work. Seriously, he was getting too old for this.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello everyone,_

_Thanks for reading this story. This chapter Tayuya and Itachi are entering the Academy! We whish them good luck._

_I apologize once more for the faults that can appear in my text, as I'm french and english is obviously not my first language._

_Enjoy your reading, and don't forget to leave a review._

* * *

"Wake up kid!" Kushina shouted in the small living room where she had settled. "It's a beautiful day to start school!"

Noboru growled and dug his face inside the pillow. His aunt devilishly grinned at that sound. She will make sure her nephew will learn to get up on time. She tiptoed in the room before dragging him out of the room by his ankle. She threw the boy in the bathroom and locked the door.

"I won't let you out until you're clean" she threatened.

She heard a satisfying moan coming from inside the room. Soon the shower started to rain on some skin. The women walked to the kitchen. Tayuya was sitting on a chair that was clearly too high for her. The women let the girl eat what she wanted. She seemed to like sweet food like her. The adult smiled at the scene.

After they had visited the kids in the hospital, Minato and she came back in her apartment. They thought it was kind to let the children sleep in the same room. One night was enough to have a change of heart. Noboru's snores had kept them from sleeping. In the morning they had found that the boy had taken all the sheets and the whole couch during his sleep. If she had slept, Tayuya had been doing it on the floor. Siblings don't necessarily get along.

Kushina then asked Minato to sleep in his own flat as long as the children would have to live with her. She couldn't ask Mikoto to help her; she had already enough to do with baby Sasuke. Fortunately the blonde ninja agreed with her. They weren't living together anyway. It was just a test, to get to know if they could live with each other. Maybe this moment was what they needed to make up their mind about it.

"Come here girl." Kushina said lifting Tayuya on her laps. "I'll brush your hair and tie them so they won't get in your face."

Tayuya had still an uncomforting gaze, but she was a much more pleasant company when she actually looked like a cute little girl. She didn't seem friendly, but that didn't mean she wasn't. She had seen her with her brother, and with Itachi, and Kushina could tell she was a really nice person. She acted as an adult in a child skin, but she stopped doing it after a few days playing with other children.

"What's a yeti?" Tayuya suddenly asked.

"It's what you look like." Noboru said in an aggressive tone as he entered the room and started his breakfast.

"Hey! Be nice to your sister!" Kushina barked.

If Tayuya was calm most of the time, Noboru was a damn brat. He despised women and he was acting like a little king. She, who had to work hard to get what she needed, had difficulties to stay calm around him. She wished her sister came to get her kids the fast she could.

"I'm just stating what's true." Noboru defended himself.

"So, what's a yeti?" Tayuya asked her again.

"It's a mythological monster who lives in the mountains. Some calls him the abominable snowman." Kushina explained.

"She sure is abominable." Noboru commented.

"Shut the hell up, Noboru!"

"I can't tell or do anything here." the boy growled.

"The abominable snowman…" Tayuya muttered to herself.

"Here, it's all done!" Kushina said.

She had braided Tayuya's hair in one red tress that get down to her knees. For this first day, she had supposed the children wouldn't do something too physical, so the girl wore a cute white dress decorated with a long ribbon around her waist. Kushina was a hundred percent sure guys will be falling like flies when they will see her. Or at least the guys that won't be afraid of her glare. And by the fact she was talking only to those she trusted.

"As both of you probably know, the school is divided into classes with one subject each. There are the theoretical classes where you will learn the basics and the practical classes you can attend only if you have mastered enough theoretical subjects." Kushina explained the children as they were on their way to the Academy.

"What? That's nonsense!" Noboru protested. "I already know how to punch and kick. Why couldn't I attend these classes?"

"The instructors want to make sure you can keep up with what they will teach you."

"That's bullshit."

"But if you want to learn that much, you can go to extra classes. You don't have to, but they can get useful. For example, I had never gone to that girly crap where you learn to arrange flowers and everything else, and I have learnt how to decipher codes. Even if I can't go to missions in case I'm injured, I can still make myself useful for the village."

"I still think that sucks."

"Auntie, why is there almost the same number of optional classes than normal classes?" Tayuya asked.

"That's because you have exams every semester. If you have worked enough, instead of just attending to the classes, you don't have to take this class anymore. For example, I had mastered really quickly the Basic seals class, because they were obviously easy to draw for someone who came from the Uzumaki clan. But the teachers wouldn't let me roam free with nothing to do, so they told me which optional classes were at the same time as this one, and I went there."

"What if someone used clones to attend every class at the same time?" Tayuya asked. "Could they graduate faster than in four years?"

"Perhaps the village would have done that during the war, since we needed people to do the simple jobs, so that the trained soldiers could fight on the battlefields. But I don't think that would be the case with the festival we will have to celebrate peace and all…"

They stopped in front of the school ground. Many students were there, happy to start a new year with their old friends, meeting new faces and everything. Mikoto was there too. She waved at them, her little baby sleeping in a harness on her back. Fugaku was talking to a teacher with his son near him. When they got closer, Kushina understood that Fugaku was upset with the new school system: he was claiming his son was able to attend any classes, even the physical ones. And the instructor was telling him he couldn't change the rules.

"It sure has changed since the time we had to learn these things too." Mikoto said.

"Your son and my niece are clearly not strong enough for now, but I know a guy that will be unstoppable if he can't do any shuriken throws or fights." Kushina said.

"Good morning Miko-san." Tayuya greeted.

Noboru was already long gone with a group he had just met. At least he could easily make friends. That was a good quality when you had to infiltrate places.

"Don't tell me you took your aunt's bad habits about names." Mikoto sighed.

"Every Uzumaki is pretty the same about that, dattebane." Kushina laughed.

"Hello Kushina-san! Hi Tayuya! "Itachi said.

"Hi Ita-chan!" both redheads answered at the same time.

"Kushina-san, Tayuya-san." Fugaku said hello in his pragmatic way.

"H… Hello" Kushina stuttered, intimidated by the man.

Tayuya looked at him. He had never seen her when her hair didn't cover her face. Kushina saw the glare of the two people harden. She swallowed nervously. But Fugaku seemed happy and started smiling a bit, then Tayuya also smiled in a more open way. She was radiant when she smiled, and Kushina's heart pounded in her chest. Her niece was so cute! And she wasn't the only one to think that, she noticed the slight blush on itachi's cheeks.

"That teacher is really a stubborn one. I hope you will get enough points in the first semester, son."

"Honey, don't be so hard with him. I'm sure he will do everything right."

The teachers started calling the children. The first day wasn't special: the children had visited the school earlier during the holidays, thanks to Minato. They just had to choose where to go. Kushina handed the bentos to Tayuya and asked her to give one to her brother. Then the adults watch in silence the children entering the building. They wouldn't see them until the evening.

******Time skip******

The war had stopped. In fact their country retreated long ago. They had been Konoha allies, because they had thought it was the best thing to do. But it was always useful to know who was winning and who was losing the battles. In case they had to change their allegiances. Thanks to the central position of the Fire Country and other minor nations, the Earth country and the Lightning country were fairly distant. They was few chances that these stupid looser from Iwa would try to attack them, even if they had win the war.

That what thought Marui, a young kunoïchi that had been sent to spy the outcome of the battles. She hid herself in the forest, looking at the dying soldiers slowly melting in the ground. She had waited again until the silence fell in this forest. She had waited again and saw the dying men getting old and be transformed into dust.

Fear started to make her way in her head. She couldn't leave this forest until she got the right order from the Raikage. She had to stay in this frightening forest. But she had no supplies, and these weird carnivorous trees started to make her feel weird. Slowly but surely she was getting out of her mind. She was cold, she was hungry, and she had enough of this.

After a few days patrolling in this never-ending forest, she spotted something unusual. Not in the freaking way of the trees, more like something you wouldn't see in these woods after a war have ended. It was a blonde woman, with a frail stature. But if you looked closely at how she walked between the trees, she was definitely a kunoïchi. Though she didn't wore any recognizable uniform from any country.

'A loner? Or a missing nin?' Marui thought to herself. 'But what is she doing here?'

Then the women turned around and looked directly at her. The Kumo spy was startled. Nobody had seen her, though she had been involved in many fights between ninjas, establishing what would be the new bingo book of their country with the camera she had hidden in her bag. But this woman wearing a white yukata had spotted her right away.

Marui thought it was safer to get down her tree and to face the unknown kunoïchi directly. She landed on the ground, but the support beneath her wasn't stable. She felt her ankle crack as she fell on the ground. After all, she was lacking sleep and food for days. And this freaking forest was getting on her nerves. When she will get home, she will ask to have a desk job. No more trees.

"So you noticed the trees. A human like you noticed the trees." the women said.

The kunoïchi from Kumo stood up, she didn't trust the women. Her instincts were telling her to run, like an animal in front of a predator. Despite that her eyes and senses were telling her she could easily exceed the stranger, her guts were telling her to run. She had always trusted her instincts more than her own mind. It had saved her life lots if times. Marui started running away from the women, slowed down by the sharp pain in her leg. It was like dragging a trunk.

"You noticed me also. You really are a high class ninja, aren't you?"

She heard the voice of the women as if she had been standing behind her the whole time. Fear froze Marui a mere second. She felt a nasty shiver down her spine. The blonde had an unpleasant aura around her. She didn't feel right.

The forest was silent. There were no noises around her. No rattling insects, no whistling birds, not even a single breeze moving the branches. How didn't she felt the silence around the women?

The blonde appeared in front of Marui, and the kunoïchi felt cold, really cold. The women lift a ghost-like hand and brushed away a few hairs that had got in the spy's face. She was smirking. She was only hearing her beating heart in her chest and the cold hand of the women in her cheek. It was colder than what she had ever felt. Tears rolled down the kunoïchi's face as she guessed the outcome of this meeting. She was trembling. But she hid her fear behind her pride. She couldn't let herself die like that.

"My my… Aren't we quite the ferocious women." the women laughed.

She was laughing as if she had never known what happiness was like. It felt unnatural. Frightening.

"I sense no cracks in your heart. You're loyal to your country. Unfortunately for you you're not powerful enough to pick my interest."

"L… Let me go, then" Marui said in a shivering voice.

Was it because of the fear, or because of her cold hand she was shaking? She couldn't tell.

"Who said you wouldn't get useful?" the women said. "You body will be just fine for what I need."

Marui didn't have the time to scream. She didn't have the time for anything else. The fingers of the women entered her nostrils. It felt like the headaches you get eating ice cream too fast. In a much more painful way. Her mind became numb and blank and she forgot everything.

******Time skip******

A few days passed since Tayuya and Noboru started to attend the school. And everything wasn't going on like they had thought. Because people had never seen them before, they had branded them as strangers. It didn't really matter for the older one, as he could make friends easily. As for Tayuya, she had Itachi that had accepted her. But besides him, no one was really friendly with her, and she didn't really try to get along with her other classmates. Most of the time she would end up alone during the pauses, after Noboru had left her for some soccer game and Itachi who was already harassed by his new fan club.

Tayuya didn't really reject any company, but she wasn't the type to talk a lot with people. They made her nervous. After all, the children from the Uzumaki clan were treating her like their princess and not their equal. Here, it was the same. She was a stranger even if she was blood related to Kushina. And she was a genius, she could do better than them as she was at least three years younger.

And sometimes she would just stare at people and make them uncomfortable. Days passed, and less people would make a move towards her. It required an awful lot of bravery to say anything to her. And she always had her head in complicated books. And she attended all the theoretical classes she could.

Uzumaki Tayuya was weird. Yet she was friend with the Uchiha heir, Uchiha Itachi. And her brother was a likeable dunce. When she was around one of these two, she didn't give the same feeling at all. She was more, well, normal. And she had that dazzling smile that made you feel a lot better.

After the first week of class, the members of the Itachi Fan Club decided to give the girl a lesson. She was a stranger and yet she dared being close to their idol. They couldn't let that happen anymore.

Here started the rumors about Double-faced Tayuya.

******Time skip******

Noboru didn't really like her little sister. Maybe was it because of their difference in age, and because of his greedy self. But this special part of his soul had pride in being related to the talented girl. And the other part of him remembered he had been there her entire life so far. Even though he couldn't call this feeling 'love', he did felt something around her. And he too was attracted by her astounding smile. She was the little will-o-the-wisp everyone revolved around.

Perhaps was it how big brothers were supposed to act towards their little brothers and sisters. Anyway, when she decided one day to skip classes to see how the house had started to be built on the Uzumaki's lands, he chose to go with her. She was still a little girl, and she wasn't really cautious of the things that could happen to her.

They decided to flee at lunch time. They put their meal in Noboru's bag pack and climbed the wall at the back of the school. But as they were about to jump to the other side, they were spotted by one of the Chuunin teachers of the school and had to for a run for it.

"Get down here you two" the high ranked women shouted at them.

Noboru may be hung up about the inheritance of the Senju and the Uzumaki clan, and therefore acting like a brat, he was respectful of hierarchy. And he knew what they were doing was forbidden. So he turned around and looked at the ground below him. Before he could move, Tayuya had grabbed his sleeve and thrown herself out of the school. The last thing he saw was the worried face of the teacher, before they both fell outside the school.

"Why do you absolutely wanted to see the school now?" Noboru growled at his sister.

"Because I don't want to get lost." Tayuya said.

He looked at her sister's eyes. They were brown like their father's, but a reddish brown that seemed almost black in the dark. But in the sun her pupil seemed on fire. It was… hypnotic. He shook his head. Was he right? Did he really see the tears in the corner of her eyes?

And then he remembered. He remembered what happened during the travel, and many times as she was a little girl. She had no friends of her age, because the other kids of the clan treated her like a princess. They thought they had no right to play with her. Mostly because her mother said so. Therefore Tayuya was always following people in the distance. And she got lost lots of time. In the end she knew how to find her way around their house back in Uzuchio. But they had gone, and she got lost again. He was the one who always had to look if she was taking the same path as they did. So he assumed she was lost again in this new city.

He remembered his dad giving her a charm so that she would always find him if she had too. It was a cicada he had carved in wood with his chakra. Noboru was sure it was thanks to that pendant she had known their father passed away. But now, she had nowhere to look at, no place to return to.

"You won't get lost, I promise." the brother said. "I will help you any time you need."

There spoke the blank part of his soul, the part of him that was accustomed to the child. The part that had affection for her. The greedy one was saying he should let her go alone. It was best for him if she didn't find her way home. He would have anything, and he wouldn't have to give her what was his. But if he really wanted to help her, he could do it so he would be able to manipulate her.

"You don't sound right." Tayuya said, and she had her sharp glance that could pierce through anything.

Noboru swallowed nervously. He knew he wasn't exactly a good person. And Tayuya had that strange ability to 'hear' if one was trustworthy or not. That was one of the reasons she didn't have any friends. He tried to smile.

"Hey, I'm your brother. I mean you no harm." Noboru said.

"You're sure?"

He felt her hesitation. She had been wrong before. She couldn't tell when she used her ability to know how the person 'sounded like' if the 'note' was wrong because the person was bad, or if she had another allegiance, or if it was because she was sick or feeling bad at the time. It wasn't really his fault if he resented his sister a bit, was it?

"Yeah" he said "I just felt wrong about disobeying." Noboru said.

"I bet their punishment isn't that bad. Come on! We won't be able to do that kind of thing with the elders around."

Indeed, the old Uzumaki folk were very traditional. The Uchiha clan would probably boast about being a modern clan when they will see how it's like with the elders of the clan. With all their traditional clothes and all the manners… Their father told them once that when he was young, the Senju clan forgot about all this boring stuff, thanks to princess Tsunade. But then maybe they should have been more cautious. If they had been a little less modern, Junpei and Tsunade wouldn't have been the last to wear the Senju name. The others had been married in prestigious clans or even in the Daimyo's family. But then again, the Uchiha clan had survived, and the Senju clan was parceled out.

"Come on!" Tayuya repeated.

"Wait up, Yu-chan" Noboru ordered. "You're so excited I think I will lose you easily. Here, take that wooden whistle."

"But isn't that what dad gave you in case you found me in a dangerous place? You can't give it to me, I already have that pendant!"

"Dad isn't there anymore." Noboru said, and his voice almost broke. "So now, I'm the man of the house and it's up to me to go and save you. So if you're in trouble, you just whistle."

"But, Bo-nii-chan… I can't. I really can't…" Tayuya sobbed.

It was rare to see her cry. She always took on herself not to cry. She wanted to be strong enough to welcome their little brother or sister. Noboru sighed and wiped her tears away. Then, he carried her in his arms, and started running. They had stayed here too long, the teachers would find them. They would get punished anyway, so he felt he could break some more rules now. If it was for Tayuya, he could.

'And you really can't say you like her even a little when you do that?' the blank part of his soul asked him.

He had no answer to that question.

******Time skip******

Everything was settled, and he had planned all the details. The cherry trees had blossomed, and there were flowers on the floor and pink petals falling from the sky. Even Kakashi had accepted to help him on that one, by challenging Gai in another place so that they would never meet him by chance. And he had bought that expensive box of her favorite chocolates.

Nothing was missing, except for the girl.

Obito hid himself behind a tree. He had left his goggles at home, and he had chosen one of his best yukata. Tonight, he knew there was a festival to celebrate the victory of Konoha on their opponents. And today, he would ask Rin to go with him. He hoped he didn't have bad breath or something stuck between his teeth.

There she goes! She would wait for him under that big sakura tree. He blushed when he saw her blue yukata with white flowers on it. Then he walked slowly to her, smiling with confidence. Today was the day. He could feel it.

"Obito?" Rin asked with a gentle smile. "Oh, I wasn't sure it was you, you look… much more mature than you used to."

"T-Thanks Rin-chan. Hum, actually, I wanted to ask you about something."

"What is it? You can tell me everything. We are friends, right?"

"Well, about tonight, I was thinking…" Obito got mixed up. "Would you like to go to the festival with me tonight?" He asked promptly.

Rin froze, and then she smiled wider than before. The boy thought it was good.

"You mean with everyone? Oh, that would be great! I can't wait to have fun with all our friends."

"Rin" Obito said with a deep voice that made the girl blush with no reason. "I meant just you and I."

He held the chocolate box in front of her. Obito bowed and confessed to her; he caught his breath nervously. A soft hand lay on his cheek, and she lifted up his face with a confused look on her face. His heart squeezed and he wish she would made the right choice.

"Listen, Obito. We've been friends for a long time now and…"

'Don't tell me you don't have feelings for me' he almost begged her 'Don't do that to me.'

"… I've never thought of you this way before. It's too sudden."

The boy grabbed her hands, and she looked away. Both of them were blushing, but Obito didn't want to stop now. His heart was beating like a crazy.

"I wanted you to know how I felt for you. I love you Rin, and you don't have to answer me now. I will wait for you under this tree tonight."

He had never felt so big and so tiny at the same time. Then he turned back with hopes and dreams in his head. Obito ran all the way to the Uchiha compound. He had that huge smile on his face. That same smile that no one else could do in his clan. The smile that will make him Hogake later. He tried to regain his composure and to look worthy when he passed the police's building. He had recently gained respect from his clan members because of his newly acquired Sharingan. He didn't want to ruin everything. Civilians greeted him and he chat a bit with them. He had always done that, but they liked even more since he was a war hero.

He spotted that stupid-looking boy that was supposedly Kushina's nephew carrying his little sister in his arms. The boy jumped on a wall and headed for the lands the city had recently sold to the Uzumaki Clan. Everyone was talking about that. Or was it Minato-Sensei talking about his family-in-law that was coming in Konoha tonight? Obito looked at the little girl. She looked at him, but his brother didn't seem to notice him in the crowd. But the redhead did. What was her name again? Takeya? Something like that. Anyway, she detected him, and she had her eyes as if she was scanning him again. He waved at her hesitantly, and she smiled in return. She had a good smile, even if her eyes looked wary.

Obito eventually came home. In the Uchiha compound, there weren't many outsiders. He had always thought that was a stupid idea, but he couldn't disprove the orders of the old members of the clan. His mother had prepared lunch when he was out, and he started eating with his parents and his little brother Shisui.

"What's with that dreamy face of yours?" asked his father.

"I bet Oni-chan is in love." his brother said.

Obito couldn't tell why, but the glances his parents exchanged then didn't look that good. What was wrong with him having a girlfriend?

******Time skip******

His strength had grown a bit. And he had remembered what he was doing here. He was not dying. And he was preventing _her_ to wake up. And if he was conscious, so was _she_.

"It's too bad you don't have the strength to talk just now" said _her_ voice somewhere in the darkness. "I loved to chat with you."

He couldn't move his body. He had thought the seals would have worked just fine, but they let her out. And she probably had started to scheme something again.

"Well, at least I have found a new body to move around with. I hope he will stay the distance."

He growled. He didn't remember who he was, but he surely knew who she was. Or at least who she had been, he had never really understood what she was to begin with. She wasn't human, that was for sure. And he needed a new body.

He felt her body sitting on his, and that was hard, not because she was heavy, but because his muscles didn't regenerate yet. The only thing he had done with the roots was using the dying men on the floor. And they just kept him alive and made other weird roots.

He couldn't see a damn thing. Everything was pitch-black. He felt her hands, her disgusting hands on him, caressing his hair and his face. She put her devilish lips on his, but he was unable to move.

"Damn, don't you seem old? I feel like kissing old parchments."

It didn't sound like her voice, it was different as the one he was used to, but the echoes were still the same. He remembered how good cuddling with her felt. But now he knew he shouldn't fail again. Besides she was using a different body. He could cope with that one.

"You know, I will find a way to make you mine again. Because, you see, I know what you could do if you were in good shape. And we could end the world together. Wouldn't that be great?"

Actually he was thinking the world should go on. That thing in the shape of a woman was definitely insane. And he wouldn't let her mesmerize him another time. But he needed to remember all his past, to know who was that monster on his laps, what was his name, and why did he chained himself to a statue providing him the cells of that Senju Hashirama dude.

******Time skip******

"So," the women started with an irritated voice, "You will tell me what you were doing in here, or else you will be severely punished."

"I'm sorry mother." apologized Noboru who was sitting in seiza like his little sister." But we've heard that dad had made arrangements to build the Uzumaki manor on these lands. We just wanted to see what it was like…"

"A stupid idea from one of you two again. Talking about your father, that you called with such disrespect, I heard he passed away and nobody in this town thought he should be buried right away?" Uzumaki Kaede raised her voice.

Tayuya's eyes became teary again and her brother turned his gaze away. The mother was stopped in her anger for a time, and thought it wasn't time to oppress them about that subject when they were in grief. She too had cried a lot when she had heard the news from a messenger sent by Konoha a few days ago, that was the reason she left the midwife and traveled the abandoned and devastated battlefield to look after her children. She had a hard time carrying the baby and ordering her people around.

But the time wasn't at dreaming! Both of them shouldn't be in this place anyway. Noboru should have enrolled himself in the Academy, as for Tayuya, she was supposed to stay at her aunt's place. And what was with those clothes? She had given them an education based on tradition, so why was her daughter wearing a short and a T-shirt, as well as her brother. Even her hair wasn't styled the way it should have been. Ponytails, who had that stupid idea, her daughter shouldn't look cute, but respectable! And her adopted son had his knees scratched and mud on his pants. Great, one week with her lenient little sister, and they looked like civilians. They were the heirs of The Uzumaki and Senju clans for Kami's sale!

"And where were you supposed to be at that hour?" she asked with a voice trembling with anger. "Wearing clothes and behaving like monkeys instead of children?"

"Well…" Noboru's tried to speak with an assured tone in vain "We skipped school… I'msorry! I'm sorry!"

Kaede slapped the boy in his face with violence. The red mark hurt him like hell. He couldn't help but shaking. Tayuya suddenly stood and placed herself in front of him with great speed between the hand of her mother and her half-brother.

"Please, don't hit him mother!" she squeaked with fear "The fault's mine! I was the one who forced him quitting school to see our new home. Please don't punish us!"

"That's enough of your pleading, Koyuki!"

Tayuya froze with wide eyes. It was unusual her mother used her real name to shout at her. She was about to say something really important.

"Both of you will obey the rules of this house, and the laws of the city for now on! The first of you that will disobey me, or cause problems will be severely punished. I haven't raised you that way. Tonight, instead of going to that festival, you two will stay at home with your little sister Karin, and no one will have fun. I will teach you what transgressing the rules is worth."

Noboru's face was as pale as a ghost, when Kaede send them away to get cleaned up. Tayuya was still crying a bit, but with dignity, as a young lady should weep. But her mother should have paid attention to her defiant gaze, which became as hard as iron.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello everyone!_

_Yes I know, my story seems a bit boring, maybe that's why you don't think it's worthy enough to leave reviews. If you don't tell me my rights and my wrongs, I won't be able to make it better._

_Anyway, if you're still reading me, I hope that's because you like the story._

_Enjoy your reading!_

* * *

"So that's what they spoke of in their reports" mumbled the man to himself.

Orochimaru looked at the old men engulfed by the sea of roots. The bingo book he was carrying helped him identifying who these men were when they were younger. These trees were very interesting. And fairly dangerous if you were to stop too long near them. He could almost feel the pressure of the seal surrounding the village. What would happen if he were to chop one of the trunks and look inside? A plant that could steal energy from the human beings, and life energy at that!

He felt a move near him. Above him was sitting a young woman, who didn't try to hide herself, despite her uniform. She was wearing military clothes from Kumo. But the detection barrier didn't notice her, as though the mud on her was showing she was in these parts since a while.

"I would advise you to surrender to me before I alert anyone or kill you".

"You're alone with me" the women said.

How strange, her lips didn't move, and though he heard her voice clearly. That voice reminded him of something, he couldn't say what it was. And she wasn't afraid of him. He was a war hero, one of the Sannin, and she didn't flinch. Also he could feel her pressure. She had a lot of chakra. She seemed to be a good material for his experiments.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked politely.

"You're Orochimaru."

So she did know him, but she wasn't afraid. What a bold kunoïchi. And a strange one, she really didn't move her lips when she was talking.

"And you're not afraid of me? You haven't heard of what people say about me? The reason I left Konoha?"

The lips of the women twitched, and then she smiled. Her shoulders didn't shook when she giggled. Was she mocking him? He was really upset.

"Kid, I've been out for a long time ago. I knew who you were because of your eyes. I don't forget eyes like that. I love men with that kind of look."

A sentence rang in the head of the snake. The same voice as now, but not the same body.

_'You have a good spirit and good eyes my child. You'll grow up as a fine man, if you're not killed on the battlefields. Maybe I'll get in touch with you later.'_

A woman said that to him once. A blonde one and he was just a kid. Who was that Kumo's spy who knew about that?

"Who are you?" Orochimaru asked with a growing curiosity.

"Well, that question is a bit awkward. You see, I've receive many names, often the name of my container, but I've no name of my own. I don't even know how I'm called right now."

A strong woman and a crazy one. Who knew things about his past he had never said to anyone.

"Then what do you want from me, spying on me without protecting yourself?"

The snake he had let climb the tree she was on suddenly jumped to bit her. In a blurred move, she appeared behind his back, her hands resting on his shoulders, and a dead snake under one of her shoes. And she was cold, very cold.

"I don't like being assaulted when I'm talking." she said. "And I'm not here to serve you. I'd like your help for something you might like a lot."

He vanished from her grasp and reappeared a few feet away from her. She seemed to have a request, but she didn't seem to know he just wanted to dissect her.

"I'll say that only once, lady. I'm not the kind of person you'll like to deal with right now, and if you don't have the presence of mind to run away from me, then I'll show you what made me become Konoha's number one target."

"Really? So you'll be happy to know I am not a friend of the leaf at all. And that I lied to you, just to see if you were worth I got interested in you." she said in a happy tone.

"I don't see what help you could be in my plans of taking over the leaf."

"You don't dream big enough, you know? Let me tell you what I am."

Her name resonated in his mind, and his smile widened. Of course, he would be a fool refusing the help of that person. Well, if he could consider _her_ as a person.

******Time skip******

Two old maids came to fetch Tayuya and Noboru, and separated them into two different directions. The little girl took the servant's hand and walked through the corridors. Apparently, this manor had been there for quite a long time, and the workers just had to renovate the framework. The corridors had been recently waxed, so her outdoor shoes left dirty traces on the floor. She heard one of the aid cleaning behind her.

All members of the personal had been in the Uzumaki's family for many generations. They had been trained as the children of the house to deal with the exterior attacks. They took part of the morning sessions of Taijutsu in the house. Tayuya had to try lots of time and improve a lot to outmatch the efficiency of their invisible help. She wasn't used to the new mansion yet, and it was far much bigger than the one she used to live in Uzuchio. Back then, she had ever been with people around her age beside her own maid and Noboru. All the others had perished when they got away from the Whirlpool country. Apparently Kaede-sama had called all her relatives to join her in their new home in Konoha. May answered from the other countries.

Tayuya had never met the people from these lands, and she hope they could get along very well. So she tried not to look to wary when the maid left her inside the women baths inside their house. When she entered the hot water, the people inside stopped to chat, and swam towards her.

She recognized the big girl that came first. Her name was Emu, and she was the daughter of one of the maids, and her personal help. And she was the only person that had been nice to her, when all the other persons from the Uzumaki clan thought her gaze was frightening, and treated her like a doll as she was the heir of the clan. Emu was nice to everyone else, even Noboru, and that should represent a lot, since he was a lazy and a brat.

"Tayuya-sama!" the ten-year-old brunette saluted her

"Mu-neesan! I missed you" Tayuya answered "And please don't call me in such a formal way"

"Kaede-sama had been cleared on that. I shouldn't be too familiar with you since you're the princess".

"She's the princess?" yelled a voice in the mist. "Hell yeah, I'm gonna show her I'm not the kind to obey a so-called princess."

"Please, apologize my sister, Hime-san. She doesn't know what she says…"

Two girls appeared suddenly behind Emu. Tayuya looked at them, trying to gauge them. When they crossed her glare, the one with the braids hid behind her twin sister. They both had fierce red hair and light brown eyes circled with green. The big-mouthed one looked proud of her and didn't seem to bother the dark brown eyes of Tayuya. She wasn't afraid of her eyes and she was even defying her. The other one seemed shy and bland. They looked a bit older than she was, but they were short, so Tayuya measured the same as them.

"I'm Mikan, said the first one, and this is my twin Monoko. And don't dare calling us by these names!"

"I'm proud to know your real names" Tayuya said. "And mine is Koyuki, as I was born in a snowy day."

"Huh! You sure know a few things about seals." Mikan said "But you don't impress me that much. Don't expect me to treat you like a princess, simply because your name starts with a 'k', por because you have a better blood than we do, that doesn't mean anything."

"I'm sorry if my sister offended you princess, and she will apologize right away" said Monoko with her little voice.

"Please don't" Tayuya said. "I don't mind being treated like she does. People treated me like a porcelain doll in Uzuchio, and I had no friends."

"Tayuya-sama! You don't have to be that humble. You do outrank them by your familial position." Emu said.

"Not really, as long as I don't look worthy enough to be the heir, my little sister can inherit. And Kaede-sama can adopt a heir if she don't judge me worthy enough. Every child is equal in the Uzumaki clan according to our rules." Tayuya explained.

"Is that so?" the maid asked.

"Yeah" Mikan said "Princess-chan is right. The adults treat us as we were all their children and teach us all they know, so that no knowledge is lost. And don't think you will outrank me because you're the maid of the heir!"

"Our clan settled in many countries, so that we would learn many things and have a proficient spying network." Monoko explained "And I apologize in place of my sister Emu-san."

"Don't Miss, I know I'm only a servant. I just wish I know enough to be the personal aid of Tayuya-sama."

"Hey princess! Let me show you I'm the best at the games in the festival our village is making tonight."

Tayuya grinned at Mikan for being so straightforward. Then she explained that she had been punished by her mother for skipping school.

"That's my girl" Mikan said patting her head. "How about you give that hag a slip and come have fun with us?"

"Please Mi-chan! You're being rude again." her sister said. "I apologized she called your mother an evil witch."

"I also hope she didn't hear that" Emu whispered.

"Well, I don't know how to make a good clone of myself. Mine don't have shadows and objects can go right through them." Tayuya said.

"How about your big sisters give you a hand and show you the tricks they learned by living in Kirigakure?" Mikan winked at her.

She joined her hands and formed the tiger seal. Tayuya saw a form emerging in water that looked exactly like the short haired girl. Then her water clone crossed her fingers and used the henge no Jutsu to transform into Tayuya. And looked like a big girl with a Picasso painting in place of the face. Mikan smiled with embarrassment.

"I still can't get that technique, though, hehe…" the big girl nervously laughed. "You think you can do it Momo?"

"Momo?" Tayuya asked, confused. "Oh, you mean your sister. I also nickname people."

"You know I can't Mika-chan! I don't have an affinity with Suiton."

"What's Suiton?"

"Princess doesn't even know that! Ha!"

"I can't do Ninjutsu classes yet" Tayuya explained. "The only things I know for sure are related to seals."

"It's an affinity with water. I apologize for the bad manners of my sister." Monoko said calmly. " And you know your plan won't work."

"Why not? I make a water clone of the girl and…"

"Are these the same of the shadow clones?" Emu asked

"I guess so? What does a maid can possibly know about it?" Mikan groaned.

"Well if the real body is too far from the clone, then it will disappear." Emu explained. "My brother was a ninja, before he passed away."

"I apologized for the rudeness of my sister" Mokoto said again. "But the maid is right, that's why your plan won't work."

But the four girls were too deeply interested in breaking the rules of the house they decided to find a solution.

******Time skip******

Sarutobi Hiruzen was still working. Dusk had settled in the sky above the village and he should have been home. But he still had paperwork to do. That was the most problematic with wars: paperwork. As if the Daimyo had nothing better to do than asking him to report the minor event.

'Damn, I won't be finished before the festivities!' the Hokage mentally swore 'How did my predecessor cope with this monstrous administration? They're no end to this!'

"Still struggling with your desk work?" a voice asked at the window.

The old man leaped before he recognized one of his former students. He growled in annoyance.

"Jiraya, when will you lean to use a door? Moreover, why didn't my guard arrested you when you jumped through my window?"

"Hey, everyone knows me in your staff, not my fault."

"I really should hire a bodyguard for times like this." Hiruzen grumbled at him.

He tried to work again, but it was too late. He was lacking concentration. He made a pile with his latest work and glanced at the white haired man.

"Why are you here anyway? I thought you were traveling and writing books?"

"I finished my fist volume; I'll give you an exemplar if you want to. I don't think it's very good though, too much action. Maybe I should put some sexy scenes in it."

"Well you were the one who wanted to write books and stop working for Konoha in the first place. There are still places in the army for you. What about teaching? We have a seal class now in the academy, it's an option, but you would be better than our current seal teacher."

"No thanks, old man, I don't want to teach anymore. The last time I did, my teachings had sent three poor children to death. But don't worry about me; I'll still send you the data I've gathered."

"Any other reason you came home? Are you planning on staying long?"

"Well, I heard you've won the war, so maybe I will avoid the other great nations for awhile. And I want to spend time with my former student. Anything new in Konoha?"

"Uzuchio has fallen, so some members of the Uzumaki clan moved in Konoha. I'm wondering if the other clans will welcome them well."

"Depends on who got in the village. Maybe I could help; I've learnt seals and spying from them."

Hiruzen looked in his files and handed one to the man leaning against the wall. Jiraya opened it and read inside. He whistled, and Hiruzen didn't know if he was impressed or bothered by what he had seen.

"The Uzumaki clan has many clan members, but instead of the Hyuuga and the Uchiha, they don't live all in the same place. That's why you should be cautious of what information they can access to. They don't really work for a village in particular. They have members in all the countries I visited. It's practical to be a friend of the family."

"I thought Uzuchio was an ally of Konoha. That's why I authorized Uzumaki Kaede to bring her clan members here. Well her husband did the talking, and since he was a Senju, I thought…"

The implications left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

"Did you say Uzumaki Kaede?" Jiraya asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Well to be blunt she's a bitch. And I wouldn't have authorized her to have children in the first place."

"She's that bad? Do you think I should show her the way out of the village?"

"Oh, no, she's not dangerous! Well she could be if you go back on your words and chase her clan away. If she chose Konoha as a new home, then she might be loyal to us. But you should remain prudent anyway. I meant she is very bad with people. Good at manipulating them, but she will certainly make a lot of enemies."

"Well as long as she doesn't provoke a civil war, I'm good with that. Furthermore she already has two daughters and an adopted son. The boy is mediocre as I was told, but the older girl is a genius as I was told."

"Poor kids! I wouldn't like to be in their place. But you should be reassured: if Kaede is the clan leader, she will give you powerful shinobi, even their personal is trained. Where are her children's files? I wanna take a look at them."

"And why don't you go playing outside and look for them there? I would like to enjoy our victory too, instead of badmouthing a clan leader."

"Okay, I'll go!" Jiraya said.

He put the file back on his sensei's desk and was about to leave. But he stopped and start to laugh.

"What is it again?" the Hokage sighed.

"Oh, I was just thinking of what will happen between the Hyuuga and the Uchiha when they will encounter the Uzumaki. Outsiders might not please your Dôjutsu users."

"So what?"

"I bet your policemen will have a long night."

And then he was gone. Sarutobi Hiruzen had never thought about that: this new clan wasn't coming from the Fire country. Dear gods, not only the policemen but he too will have tons of paperwork to do.

******Time skip******

Obito was a bit displeased with how his date was taking place. Since his eight years old brother had told his parents he was in love with a non Uchiha, he sensed he could have a problem. And there was sure a problem: he wasn't alone with Rin. First of all there was Uchiha Tekka with them, a young policeman that had left his Chuunin team to work with the clan. A little older than he was, he had a serious problem with the fact he had a huge crush on Uzumaki Kushina despite being six years younger than her. He had always found the guy annoying. Takka despised him before because he hadn't the Sharingan at the time and was bad with Katon Jutsu, though the guy acted friendly with him because his sensei was Minato and was Kushina's boyfriend. Even now, Tekka was trying to act as they were best pals. The only thing that could ease Obito's mind about this fact, was that Fugaku's nephew still ignored that his crush was pregnant.

Tekka alone, he could manage. But Tekka wasn't alone; he had brought his little sister Aya with him. She was one year younger than his brother, and one year older than his cousin Itachi. By the way Itachi and Shisui tagged along. Well in fact Shisui was hovering over him and Itachi had followed them since his mother had authorized him to go to the festival only if he was with other kids of the clan. He wasn't talking much, and he was sometimes irritating for he was the clan heir and also a genius. Obito was jealous of him: that kid would soon be able to do things he was still struggling with. Oh, and he almost forgot that guy Satomi who had nothing to do for the moment so he decided to tag along.

So instead of being alone with Rin for the evening, having a nice romantic moment, and dreaming of kissing and dating her, they had to babysit three kids, dealing with the clan head's nephew, and chatting with another bored cousin.

"Hey! Hey! Obito!" Uchiha Satomi asked "Why are we waiting under that sakura tree?"

"Dunno" Tekka said "Maybe he's gettin' girly, ne?"

"What are you saying oni-chan?" the troublesome little sister said "Sakura trees are pretty, I like them! Don't you think they're cute Itachi-sama?"

"Stop bothering us with your girly things" Shisui growled "Why don't you go and play elsewhere."

"Don't be mean, Shisui" Obito sighed

"But she's always following us and wants to play boring games! We're future shinobi and she's going to be a housewife anyway." Shisui complained

"Some women don't, you know. I don't think Kushina-neesan will be the kind to stay at home and taking care of her children all the time." Obito said.

"By the way, do you think candies are good gifts for Kushina-san?" Takka asked.

"How the hell should I know that?" Obito exclaimed. "Ah, there she is!"

"Who's that?" Satomi asked.

"Oni-chan's girlfriend" Shisui sniggered.

"Er… good evening Obito and everyone. I'm Nohara Rin, I'm very pleased to meet you."

Rin bowed and they answered her salute. Well Obito waved at her blushing and most of the other just nodded, but at least they acknowledged her presence. Obito wasn't at ease, since his dating plans were ruined. She had come alone as he asked her to, but neither of them thought they would have a public. After a short moment of silence, Satomi suggested they get going to the festivities, and everyone agreed. Obito wanted to talk to Rin alone, and he wish they could leave the group behind them but his brother was having fun always being behid him. And where his brother went, Itachi and Aya followed, so did Tekka and Satomi who had nothing better to do.

"I hadn't thought this night would be like this" Rin muttered.

"I know. I don't understand why they suddenly wanted to stay with me. Maybe that's the price to pay when you have the Sharingan…"

And here started the first date Obito ever had with Rin.

******Time skip******

"Monoko, you've gone in the girl's bathroom again" the twin mother's scowled as they were changing themselves.

Tayuya flinched. She looked at the twins. Mikan was a girl, but she was short haired and wasn't acting as a respecting girl should. On the other hand, Mokoto had long red hair, and could actually be mistaken for a girl. She hadn't been able to tell the difference. She assumed he was a girl, because they were indeed bathing together. She didn't notice he was wearing a boy's name. Most of the people clearly didn't.

They had all yukatas ready for them. A bright red fabric with white and yellow dragonflies on it. Well Mokoto's one was more sober, since his sleeves were shorter, and the color was more sober, he had a light blue one. And Emu's one hadn't any motif on it because she was a servant, but it was still red. They weren't really girly, because the pattern was discreet, more childish. And a real women kimono was supposed to end just above the feet, theirs stopped at their knees, and they were wearing pants under it. And Tayuya had looked at the sandals: they weren't like those her mother made her wear for the ceremonies.

"Mariko-san?" she called the mother "Why are our clothes not like the usual yukata?"

"You noticed?" the women said.

Tayuya then thought she seemed much softer than her own mother. She had even _hugged_ and _kissed_ her children. Her mother never did that to her. Uzumaki Mariko seriously behaved like Uchiha Mikoto and her aunt. She was starting to wonder how a mother should behave towards her children.

"How are they different?" Mariko asked in a way that suggested she wanted the girl to think.

"They seem easier to move around. If you don't really look at it, they seem like regular yukata because the pants are really large."

"We've always worn this kind of clothes when we went to the festivities back in Kiri", Mikan told her, "It's too bad they weren't many events like that."

"But you know, Tayuya-chan has always lived in our homeland, the Whirlpool country. It's a small nation, and they don't need a really powerful village since most of their missions are done by Konoha. The Uzumaki clan still trained its members to be ninjas because of tradition. They were never bothered by wars before the Third Great War."

"You mean this clothes are designed to be more practical because we are in a bigger shinobi village?" Tayuya asked.

"Exactly! You are a smart girl, aren't you?" Mariko said.

People around her never congratulated her because she had given the right answer. It had been very strange to her when the teachers had complimented her in class, as they did with Itachi. When she was right about something, her mother simply had one of her smiles that never reached her eyes.

They walked to the living room. There stood a mother and a father with their two sons. The father was an Uzumaki, because of his red hairs, but his wife was clearly a stranger with her tanned skin, her light blonde hair and her slanting eyes. Therefore her sons looked a bit like her, their skin darker than theirs and something in the form of their eyes. The lighter shade of their hair too.

As she was looking at them, she saw the smaller one hiding behind his brother. Then again, someone had feared her glare. Where Mikan didn't bother, and Mokoto didn't look that much disturbed by being scanned by her, the boy was clearly disturbed. The older one was about the age of Emu, so he was something like twenty centimeters taller than Tayuya or the twins. The older brother was wary of her, if he was upset by her gaze; he wasn't showing any hint of fear. But he wasn't really friendly either.

The older boy was wearing a dark red yukata with vertical stripes and the Uzumaki crest on his back, the same as his father. His little brother was about Tayuya's age, so he had a more childish kimono on him, also dark red, but with sea shells on it. Their mother was wearing a traditional yukata with big blue flowers and green leaves on it. Then Tayuya noticed it was the same as Mariko had on, but one was grey to match with her family's clothes and the other was white.

"I'm Uzumaki Mariko" the mother behind her said "And these are my children Mokoto and Mikan."

Emu was nowhere to be seen, as always, she was like a shadow inside the house. And that was impressive, since she was wearing such colored clothes. Tayuya saw they expected her to present herself? When she did so, the other family bowed, and she felt embarrassed; she didn't want anyone to show that much respect to her. She was indeed the clan heir, but it wasn't like she had that much authority. She couldn't order them around, could she? And even if that was the case, it didn't feel quite right. Somehow she thought that her brother would want to be obeyed by these people. She remembered how many times Emu was about to snap when he was teasing her and acting like a little prince.

"Huh! As if you deserved such a treatment, princess" Mikan mocked her before her mother put her hand on her head.

"Please apologize my sister; she doesn't know what she says." Mokoto echoed.

"I'm Uzumaki Tomio" the husband said "And this is my wife Rikuko."

"Do you come from the Lightning country?" Mariko asked the women.

"My ancestors did" she answered with a slight accent "But we've always lived in the Grass country."

"Uzumaki Fuminori" the older boy only said when everyone looked at him.

His brother muttered something they couldn't understand. Their mother laughed before telling them her youngest son's name was Hideaki.

"I've met with your older brother, Tayuya-Sama, but he didn't seem to be in the mood for the festival." the man said.

"Well our mother doesn't want us to go, so I'm not sure I can go." Tayuya honestly explained.

"If you stay with us, I don't see why you couldn't go. I wouldn't like you to miss all the fun."

"Thanks a lot, Tomio-san."

"By the way, have you seen my husband?" Mariko asked.

"I saw him a few minutes as I was entering the bath, but he seemed to have a lot on his mind."

The mother looked terribly tired when she heard that, and asked if they could keep an eye on her twins whereas she would be looking for her missing husband. She growled something about card games and a drinking contest. After hearing they were ready to go to town, even if Kaede had forbidden her girl to go, Noboru appeared from nowhere and decided to tag along.

The happy group set off to go to the city.

******Time skip******

He didn't remember falling asleep.

Technically speaking, it wasn't as if he could remember lots of things anyway. But he knew she was gone. He hadn't sensed her leaving. The thing was, even if he had sensed her, he wouldn't have been able to detain her. He was unable to move.

'That bitch!' he thought.

He was surprised to hear his own voice. It was the voice of an old man. What did he expect? She did tell him his skin felt like old parchments. But he didn't remember his voice being like this. She was still strong, but so weak he doubted anyone heard it.

"Where have you gone?" he asked the darkness.

No one answered. What did he indeed expected? That he would have been able to hold her back? He knew he has to prevent her from leaving him. And she needed him. Back then she needed him, and he had believed her. Now she was gone and that wasn't good news.

Then again he knew that thing wanted to end the world. She was only living for destruction, if anyone could call that living. She wasn't alive, but she existed. Taking a body and using it until he died. Always a women body. She didn't care that her container died. She was unable to measure how much she had to eat, how often she should drink, how many damages she could take without anyone else with her.

She had tricked him back in the past when he was all but hunger for power. She had tricked him, being vulnerable and yet so strong. And then that man had helped him. Senju Hashirama. The fact that he was indebted to him was the most irritating thing. He couldn't recall who was or had been that man, but he sure knew that he hated him.

But still what he needed to know, was who he was.

******Time skip******

Kakashi looked at his reflection in the mirror. He didn't quite like his new eye. Not that it wasn't useful: in a ninja prospective it was a tool, as his body and weapons were. But he was used to his grey eyes, and the new black one was disturbing. At least the man who gave him the eyeball wasn't short-sighted. But the black iris and the red scar… It still didn't feel like it was him.

He tried the eye-patch again. He felt rather stupid with this accessory on. Then he tried to cover the eye with his mask. If he expected to see anything, that was a good idea. And he looked ridiculous with that on. Then he covered it with his headband. That was more stylish.

"Hey! Kakashi, my greatest rival!" shouted a voice behind his window.

The adolescent sighed. He wasn't in a mood to enjoy him. He wasn't even dressed like he should. Outside his clan house, he could see his self-proclaimed rival tangled in the wires of the traps he had made to catch the intruders. Anyone normal would have walked to his door and knocked. It was the only way not to find oneself under a rain of kunais. But Gai was anything but normal.

He had even found the way to wear his green spandex and his weighs with a dark blue yukata. Kakashi wondered how that guy was even able to move around without sweating like a pig.

The Taijutsu self-said expert was making a ruckus outside. Now he would have to go and help him with the cables. Which meant the other teen would drag him to the town.

Kakashi finally decided to be a good Samaritan and helped his friend. After being called names and playing (winning) at one of the black-haired stupid games, they were gone. During the way, Gai told him he looked cool with his head-band hiding his eye. Kakashi's mask covered the slight grin he was having. He was also mocked because he was still wearing ninja clothes.

Was it his fault if all the article of clothing of a good ninja never looked as if they were those of civilians? They always had hidden pockets to fill with weapons, and his were never empty. One may call him extra-careful, but that was how a ninja should be. Always prepared for the unexpected.

A bunch of red-haired kids passed them laughing. He recognized Kushina's niece right away. His eyes saw the nephew too, but that preteen wasn't interesting enough to catch his eye. On the other hand, Tayuya drew his attention. Kakashi noticed that Gai was paying no attention to them. He was just seeing a group of children he had never seen before, but wasn't really paying attention to them. But that girl was something, the way she seemed to walk and stand like the others.

He nudged the spandex teen.

"Look at that girl" Kakashi muttered.

"Where?" his rival asked. "You've seen a babe?"

"Not that! Do you see these kids in front of us? One is special."

Gai looked at him and frowned. If he was in his stupid days, he would claim he was weird being attracted to little kids. But he saw the spark in his eye and observed the group. Kakashi saw the girl flinch, half a second maybe, and nobody around her saw that. After they finished catching fishes, they ran towards another stand. The way she ran and briefly looked at the crowd behind them. She knew they were observed by someone, but she couldn't say who. Gai nodded at him.

"I can read her movements. They look like those of the kids around her, but they are not. She is breathing the springtime of youth! I can see she is worthy of my rival!"

"Damn, I was sure you would say that." Kakashi growled.

"Don't worry my magnificent friend! They are other women in the world that will attract you. Well, each and every girl who wouldn't have fallen for me!"

He made his 'nice guy' pose, and Kakashi felt ashamed. Better being alone than to be seen around that Gai. And observing Uzumaki Tayuya was so much more interesting.


End file.
